What came first...investing or trading?

I day traded for the last 30 calendar days and here are my results.

This famous thought experiment of what came first, the chicken or egg, also applies to investing or trading. Investing is a skill with an understanding that you will net a return in the future (short-term and long-term). Trading is transactional and it is an activity where you give up something to get something back now.

For the last 30 calendar days, I engaged in trading. Other names used are day trading, active trading, or swing trading. I’ve day traded before, however, I never documented each and every trade I made, and the reasoning behind these trades. What follows below are a spreadsheet and a daily journal of all my trades. To make the daily journal as easy as possible to read, I bolded certain areas.

I don’t recommend day trading because it is dangerous, it is emotional, and real money is at stake. However, in documenting the last 30 days, it is my attempt to show you that both investing and trading are viable sources of income. So what came first…investing or trading? For me, it was investing as that laid the groundwork to being disciplined, unemotional, and strategic about trading.

Disclaimer: Trading stocks carries significant risks and the information here is for educational purposes only.

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