Education and Upbringing Journey

The Journey to Professional Trading

It is a journey to become a professional trader and investor.

Imagine you bought a math book, a chemistry book, or any other subject book with 650 pages. What are the chances you'll understand the content clearly if you start reading from page 350 or 250?

Now consider this: what are the chances you'll gain the most knowledge if you read in a disorganized way? Reading chapter 4 today, chapter 9 tomorrow, chapter 17 next, then chapters 12, 3, and 8—would you really grasp the material when chapters depend on one another?

Yes, you guessed it right. To benefit most from any book, you need to start from the first chapter. That's why it's the first chapter—the starting point of the journey the book aims to cover.

Similarly, as we strive to become professional traders and investors, it's crucial to ask: "What is the starting point in this journey?"

Finding Your Starting Point

We need to know where we currently stand. This helps us identify the areas for improvement we need to address on this journey.

In the last article, we discussed how understanding the question is vital. We can only find answers if we know exactly what the question is. Now we know you want to reach a destination and you're embarking on a journey, but you need to establish a starting point, right?

In this article, we will explore:

• Your starting point
• Your strengths and weaknesses
• The questions you need to answer now

This way, you can find the answers for yourself as you continue your journey.

Our Educational Foundation

Let's start from the beginning, when our current journey began.

We were curious. We kept asking questions to understand what was happening around us. Our parents answered to the best of their ability. Then we went to school to learn from masters—what we call "Gurus" in Hindi.

This is where our journey takes an interesting turn.

I want you to look at your story as a third person, reflecting on your life until you completed 12th grade and then graduated. Write down: "What purpose was this person preparing for?"

The Pattern We Followed

1. There was a timetable
2. We learned to act and behave in certain ways by following specific rules and instructions (they called this discipline)
3. We received basic information about math, science, social science, language, and general knowledge
4. We had to memorize theories that were tested in exams
5. Those who followed instructions best received the highest marks

Critical Questions

Ask yourself:

1. Were we taught to anticipate certainty or analyze probabilities?
2. Were we educated to make independent decisions?
3. Were we prepared to handle finances?
4. Were we ever encouraged to fuel our curiosity and ask more questions?

We followed a study pattern for over 18 years. Our parents supported this system—for reasons we'll explore in the next article.

The Robotic Training

Where can you find similar patterns—set working hours, rules, and instructions? If we stick to these for a specific period, do we receive a set return?

Your journey might have been different, but overall, our education system has trained us to be robotic. Thus, when we hear news about advanced innovations in robotics, we fear they might take our jobs.

I'm not saying the system is entirely negative. However, it overlooked crucial aspects of life that should have been taught.

Society's Interesting Patterns

If we observe our society as a whole, we find even more interesting points:

1. Career Shifts: IIT graduates leaving engineering to become IAS officers, but rarely the other way around. Have you wondered why?

2. The Coaching Economy: Massive hype around IITs, CAs, MBBS, UPSC. People spend extraordinary sums on coaching. For example:

   • ~1,000 UPSC vacancies for IAS/IPS annually
   • ~1 million forms filled
   • If 50% take coaching: 500,000 students × ₹50,000 (Per Year Fees) = ₹25 billion spent
   • Compare this to the combined salary of selected candidates

   Critical Question Is this worth it for the Indian economy?

3. Celebration Culture: Lavish celebrations when someone gets selected

4. Social Pressure: Relatives praise such children as the brightest, sharpest, and best

The question is: How does this environment affect the mindset and optimism of a child who doesn't fit into this system?

Business vs. Employment Mindset

Now, let's analyze the requirements of business and profession:

What Business Owners Need

1. No set working hours
2. Be their own boss
3. Create their own rules rather than following someone else's
4. Think in probabilities
5. Manage risks and plan effectively
6. Identify and resolve issues
7. Have vision and carve their own path
8. Make their own decisions
9. Know how to manage finances

These qualities are common among successful business owners.

If we compare business requirements with our training, we can identify many areas for improvement. I encourage you to write down your areas of improvement. We'll revisit this list around the 40th article.

The Unlearning Journey

We now understand that we were trained to work a job. To become professional traders, investors, or business owners, we must:

• Unlearn our robotic training
• Learn essential skills to improve our chances of success

You might wonder why we discuss these ideas when our goal is to learn stock market trading and investing.

The Brain's Remarkable Adaptation

Our body and brain function in remarkable ways. If a part of our body is not used, the body reduces energy supply to that part. The same happens with our brains. When we suppress curiosity and the analytical side of our brains over time, those parts weaken.

As we move forward, we aim to revive those parts. With time, you will discover your best self emerging.

Research-Based Learning

This is what I call research-based study. We do not start with memorization; we start with analysis. Right now, we are preparing the groundwork for your success.

• First five articles: Prepare ground by building neural pathways
• Next 15 topics: Build the foundation of your growth (as mentioned in the first article)

To achieve a healthy body, we must exercise all muscle groups, right? We don't focus only on shoulders or chest; we work on all areas. This is our journey toward overall development, which will ultimately improve our chances of success in any business or profession, not just the stock market.

Your Best Self Awaits

Great people in history have taught us that our best self lies within us. Our own internal work is necessary to uncover that self, and this better version will surpass our current selves.

"The first step is asking the right questions. Nature will guide us to the answers, and those answers will directly lead to success."

What's Next?

In the next article, we will explore the mysteries of our brain and our nature to help us gain better clarity about ourselves.

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Key Takeaways

• Sequential learning matters - Like reading a book, we must start from the beginning, and cover all the essentials during the journey. No Shortcut to learning, training, and wisdom!
• Our education shaped us for employment, not entrepreneurship - We were trained to follow, not lead
• Unlearning is as important as learning - Breaking robotic patterns is essential
• The brain adapts to usage - Suppressed curiosity needs revival
• Success requires holistic development - All aspects of thinking need strengthening

Reflection Exercise

Take a moment to write down:

1. What specific "robotic" behaviors do you need to unlearn?
2. How has social pressure affected your financial decisions?
3. Which business owner qualities do you already possess?

Your Areas for Improvement

Create your personal list of areas to improve. We'll revisit this in Article 40 to measure your growth.