“I challenge everyone just to spend just a small portion of your day to commit to something that provides you an opportunity to be better at your craft and I’m saying this publicly to keep myself accountable as well. The more on top you are on your daily development the sharper and more confident you are in your game. #mambamentality”

Marques Johnson —

This topic is more in the public eye more than ever and I would have to credit this a lot to social media and podcasting due to the fact we’re in a society now that you can reach out to a lot of your personal idols and mentors from afar through multiple media platforms which is great. However, I still don’t believe most people really take it in seriously because just within my own group of some family and friends who are not necessarily happy where they are, I never hear much about personal development, reaching out to someone who does what they want to do at a high level, listening to productive material on the way to work, etc.

Most people consume education early on in their life and things take a downward spiral after high school or college, but what I believe that separates the successful from the average is the constant strive for self-education and studying to get better at whatever their personal craft is or simply whatever it is they want to be better at.

One of the main things I always heard Matt Justice say when I first met in him in Washington D.C., was to never let a day go by without educating yourself on the markets. I believe that advice is vital, there’s so much to take in at one time it can be very overwhelming, and I can say that because that’s how I felt when I began. But what helped me was digesting content and information day by day which allowed me to understand essentially the new language I was learning. 

To this day, even after a long outing from work, I force myself to watch or read some form of constructive information from Tackle’s website. My go-to is the Halftime report at a minimum just to keep me up to date with the current action. The more you are up to speed with the world of trading, the more prepared you are before each trading day which will relieve a lot of stress or anxiety for yourself. Back when I first started trading, I spent money that quite frankly I was not prepared to spend to learn how to take control over my financial future at a 3-day seminar. It was an adrenaline rush because it was something I never thought I would do and it was the first time I decided to spend money like that on something that wasn’t materialistic for myself. But it was easily one of the best decisions I ever made because it has provided me the opportunity to work with Matt Justice and the rest of the team of Tackle writing this article for others throughout the community to read.

When I look back on it, the money I spent was a small fortune that some people would think is crazy to do, but when you’re motivated to succeed not only for yourself but for loved ones around you, there’s not a cost too high you can put on that if that’s what it takes to make you better. That’s what I had to rationalize to myself when I made that decision in that ballroom. I was the first person to stand up going to the back of the room and commit to something I thought would improve my wellbeing because $500 is not going to make or break my life.

Even after a year of trading, I knew I wasn’t done, I decided to take a mentorship with Micah Brooks who also mentored the Justice brothers out in Salt Lake City. Again, everything out of pocket, but it was worth it to me because it takes guidance from others better than you to be good as you want to be. Kobe Bryant sought out many successful business moguls to pick their brains about investing and venture capitalism when he retired because he was brand new to it. So how could we not think the same for what it is that we want to accomplish at a high level and I’m not done seeking further mentoring and I don’t believe I ever will stop because continued education is the only option if we plan to be the best versions of ourselves. 

I challenge everyone just to spend just a small portion of your day to commit to something that provides you an opportunity to be better at your craft and I’m saying this publicly to keep myself accountable as well. The more on top you are on your daily development the sharper and more confident you are in your game. #mambamentality

Marques Johnson. Full-time Trader.

I’m from Virginia and I grew up in a military home where I was raised by two parents who provided me the best of both worlds from how to be a good person and how to be self-sufficient in life. I’ve been trading for three years now and each year there’s always something significant I learn because the markets are changing all the time. I particularly focus on trading stock and futures options but trading isn’t the only thing I’m passionate about. Fitness is a significant aspect of my life and personal training is what I do throughout the day, so the balance of trading and fitness is a great mix for me mentally and physically which keeps me motivated every day.

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