If you asked any trader or entrepreneur why they chose their path, the answer would likely be the same: to create a life of wealth and success, not endless hustle and struggle. 

Even if money isn’t the primary motivator, there must be a meaningful payoff to make the journey worthwhile. 

After all, diving into high-risk worlds like trading or entrepreneurship with no hope of reward would be madness.

People take on these challenges because they believe the risk and sacrifice will lead to a better life. They aim to become a “Topdog,” not remain stuck in the grind of “Underdog” purgatory. 

The key difference between achieving a Topdog lifestyle—however you define it—and staying trapped as an Underdog lies in mindset. 

Unfortunately, many traders and entrepreneurs cling to an Underdog mentality far longer than it’s helpful, severely limiting their progress and success.

When the Odds Are Stacked Against You 

When you are starting out in trading or entrepreneurship, it’s natural to have an underdog mindset.

You’re new to the game, you have a lot of skills to learn and you are looking to highly successful people who are much further down the path for inspiration as to what might be possible for you to achieve.

At the beginning, the odds are objectively stacked against you— failure is statistically more likely than success.

According to the US Bureau of Labor statistics, 45% of businesses fail within the first 5 years of opening. And according to research by Barber, Lee and Odean (2010), only 1% of day traders are able to consistently profit net of fees.

The problem is, when you cling on to the underdog mentality for longer than is necessary, you cement your underdog positioning in the pecking order of “success”—it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What starts as a necessary phase can turn into a limiting belief that keeps you stuck.

The Consequences Of Identifying As An Underdog

Your actions shape your reality, but your beliefs, thoughts, and emotions drive those actions. 

Repeating narratives like being a “Victim,” “Loser,” or “Underdog” creates a lens through which you interpret the world. This lens influences both the actions you take and how you react to external events.

So let’s say you are running the story of being the Underdog unconsciously in your mind—you are then more likely to take Underdog actions such as:

• Downplaying your potential: You believe that because you have only been in business for a short amount of time, people won’t resonate with your product as much as a competitor’s product and you adjust sales expectations accordingly (Underdog)…instead of acknowledging the quality of your offering and seeking every possible pathway to maximise sales in the first year of business (Topdog)
• Excusing poor habits: You buy into the idea that breaking your trading rules is something every trader experiences and that it eventually gets ironed out with time in the market (Underdog)…instead of believing that you can eradicate indiscipline early by working on your trading psychology (Topdog).
• Overvaluing hustle: You sacrifice personal life, relationships, and health in the name of grinding (Underdog)…rather than designing a sustainable lifestyle and business model from the outset (Topdog).

An Underdog mindset leads to Underdog actions, which reinforce Underdog results. Breaking this cycle is crucial to achieving Topdog success.

Underdog Versus Topdog Mindset

The Underdog mindset thinks that by taking the same quality of actions, the results will someday magically turn in their favour.

By contrast, the Topdog thinks with the mindset of someone who is already crushing it. They work smarter instead of harder and find solutions that elevate their external reality to the level of their internal self-concept.

That’s not to say that having a Topdog mindset equates to having unrealistic expectations around the effort or timeframe involved in success.

It’s more the case that because you are taking Topdog actions, you increase the likelihood of capitalising on pathways and opportunities that can accelerate your progress and lift you to higher levels of success.

The Underdog Comfort Zone

There is a reason why people feel more comfortable in the underdog position. When you are an underdog, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If you fail? Well that’s what the statistics predicted anyway—it wasn’t your fault. There is no massive threat to your ego or self-concept to be chasing success from a standing start.

If you succeed? You have beaten the odds and established yourself as an extraordinary player in the game.

When you are a Topdog, however, success is expected. It’s not a clap-worthy moment if you maintain lofty revenue targets or support your family with your annual trading profits—it’s the minimum expectation that you consistently perform under intense pressure.

If you slip up? Take a few bad trading losses or miscalculate a pivot in your business and drop below your usual standards?—the perceived “failure” can feel magnified.

There is more pressure and a bigger potential threat to your ego to be in the Topdog position. Not to mention additional pressure and stress as you become a target of other people’s envy and jealousy.

This is the reason why some sports teams always perform better when they are up against an opponent who are cast as favourites. The team who are not expected to win are actually walking into that match with less pressure on their backs than their opponents.

The Underdog team’s job, from a psychological perspective, is easier.

Becoming a Topdog

If you want a Topdog lifestyle, you need to cultivate a Topdog mindset—and that includes embracing the additional pressures that come with success. 

Muhammad Ali exemplified this approach when he declared, “I am the greatest” at just 22 years old. This bold proclamation came before he achieved massive success, yet he understood that phenomenal results start with an unshakable belief in oneself. 

As he later reflected:

 “I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” – Muhammad Ali

To develop a Topdog mindset, focus on these three steps:

1. Visualize Success. Use your imagination to create a vivid picture of the person, achievements, and lifestyle you want. Regularly revisit this vision, as research shows the brain processes mental imagery much like it does real experiences. This practice helps align your thoughts and actions with your goals.
2. Be Task-Driven, Not Ego-Driven. Prioritize the quality of your actions over attaching your self-worth to outcomes. Focusing on consistent, high-quality effort ensures that the process itself propels you forward. Results will follow naturally.
3. Practice Being The Person You Want To Become. Identify the attributes, habits, and beliefs of the person you aspire to become. Will they wake up earlier, invest in personal growth, or balance work and family? Begin embodying these traits today. Success flows from aligning your current actions with the person you aim to be.

Final Thoughts

The transition from Underdog to Topdog isn’t just about external achievements; it’s an internal evolution. 

By shifting your mindset and aligning your actions with your aspirations, you can break free from limiting beliefs and build a life that reflects your full potential.

Start thinking and acting like a Topdog today—your future success depends on it.

Three Ways I Can Help You Master Your Mental Edge

Want to learn more?

1. Subscribe to The Extra Edge Newsletter:  Join my weekly newsletter for Traders and Online Entrepreneurs. Each week, I deliver actionable tips and insights directly to your inbox to help you get the mental edge and win bigger in business and in life.
2. Join my FREE Trading Psychology Masterclass or my Free Mental Edge Masterclass for Online Entrepreneurs where we decode and resolve some of the major mindset blocks faced by traders and entrepreneurs.
3. Enrol in Go Deep to Level Up Your Trading or Go Deep to Level Up Your Business: These are my signature Performance Psychology Programs to help you leverage your mindset for peak performance and a richer life.

The post Are You Thinking Like A Topdog Or An Underdog?—Why This Matters For Your Success appeared first on Créde Sheehy-Kelly.

Affirmations are a technique used to help you transform subconscious blocks and elevate your mindset and performance. Use this affirmation script to help you develop a wealthy mindset focused on increasing abundance and prosperity.

 

Listening every day will help you program your mind – repetition is key

 

For best results either say each affirmation out loud or repeat in your mind after you hear each statement

 

Hi, I’m Créde Sheehy-Kelly. I’m a High-Performance Psychologist. I help traders and online entrepreneurs to master their mindset for peak performance and a richer life. I have spent over 16 years coaching world leaders in professional sport, entrepreneurship, business, finance and trading.

The post Money Mindset Affirmations | Program Your Mind for Wealth appeared first on Créde Sheehy-Kelly.

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If your to-do list feels never-ending and your stress levels are rising, it’s crucial to regain control and clarity. It’s possible to transform chaos and pressure into a manageable plan with focused, actionable steps. Here’s a structured approach to help you break down your overwhelming tasks and reclaim your peace of mind.

#1. List Every Concern To Clear Your Mind

The first step is to write out every situation or concern you’re currently trying to manage. It might seem daunting, but getting everything down on paper is the first step to taking control. Whether it’s passing a trading evaluation, launching a new website, or saving for a house deposit—list them all. This process helps clear your mind, allowing you to see the full picture.

#2. Organize By Timeline For Better Clarity

Next, clarify the timeline over which these situations play out. Some issues might need immediate attention, like passing the trading evaluation in the next week. Others could unfold over months, such as launching the new website. Organizing your concerns based on their timeline gives you a clearer perspective on what needs to be tackled now and what can be dealt with later. For instance, saving for a house deposit might be a long-term goal, giving you more time to plan and strategize.

#3. Break Down Your Concerns Into Phases

Now, break this timeline into three equal phases: (1) Short-Term Concerns (i.e. requires immediate troubleshooting and resolution), (2) Medium-Term Concerns, and (3) Long-Term Concerns. In Phase 1, list all the issues that need urgent action, such as focusing on the trading evaluation. For Phase 2, you might include tasks like creating the copy for the website, finalizing the website layout and development. Phase 3 could involve setting up a savings plan for your house deposit and researching mortgage options. By categorizing these tasks, you’ll find that some concerns in Phases 2 and 3 might resolve themselves, or at least become less pressing, after Phase 1 is handled.

#4. Simplify Your Actions For Immediate Relief

Once you’ve categorized your concerns, it’s time to think about action. Ask yourself: “what are the most radical and simple steps I could take in each phase that would instantly reduce the pressure I’m feeling?”. For example, could you outsource the copy-writing on the website, even though normally you are a perfectionist who wants ownership of every aspect of your projects? Could you automate some savings every month to make the house deposit feel more achievable? 

Often, the most effective solutions are the simplest ones, but we tend to dismiss them because they seem too easy or we lack the trust to believe that they could possibly lead to the outcome we desire. We overcomplicate things, telling ourselves that success requires the hardest possible path. Instead, give yourself permission to consider these simple actions and focus on making them work.

#5. Focus On Only Immediate Concerns And Then Reassess Your Progress

Finally, park every worry in Phases 2 and 3 and laser focus only on Phase 1 actions. By concentrating your energy on passing the trading evaluation, you’ll make progress faster and reduce your overall sense of overwhelm. Once Phase 1 is complete, reassess your situation—chances are, you’ll find that some issues are more manageable now. Perhaps the payouts from the passed account are already helping your monthly house savings plan to take shape.

Breathe A Sigh Of Relief!

This structured approach helps you take control of your responsibilities, reducing stress and making your workload more manageable. By breaking down your concerns into distinct phases, you can focus on what matters most right now, paving the way for a more organized and less overwhelming life. So, take a deep breath, start with step one, and watch as your stress begins to melt away.

The post Never-Fail Technique to Eradicate Overwhelm appeared first on Créde Sheehy-Kelly.

The Inner Critic is the negative voice that can run in the background in our mind, giving out to us for making mistakes and making us doubt ourselves. Like an Inner Bully, when this voice goes unchecked it knocks our self-confidence and self-esteem and can negatively impact our performance.

This meditation will help you to:

Become more aware of the voice of the Inner Critic

Tune into the voice of your true Authentic Self

Turn down the volume on the Inner Critic and release yourself from its influence for good

The post Meditation to Overcome Negative Self-Talk and Self-Doubt appeared first on Créde Sheehy-Kelly.

Trading is a Performance Sport. Mindset is Your Competitive Advantage.

At the highest levels of performance, where split-second decisions define success or failure, mindset separates the winners from the losers. Trading is no exception. 

To compete at the top, you need more than technical skill—you need mental mastery. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore how the mindset secrets of professional athletes can help you achieve peak performance in your trading.

Why Traders Are Athletes

Why should traders think of themselves as athletes? Because the demands of trading parallel those of high-performance sports. 

In both arenas, decisions made in microseconds carry significant consequences. A single error can impact your financial future or derail your career.

Once technical skills are mastered, success comes down to execution under pressure—and that’s where mindset becomes your competitive advantage.

For a footballer in the Super Bowl, it could be about blocking out the weight of the significance of the event. For a trader, it could be about maintaining composure after a string of losses.

But here’s the good news: your mental edge isn’t something you’re born with. It’s a skill set you can develop. Just as athletes train their bodies, traders can train their minds. 

Professional sports teams invest heavily in psychologists and mental training experts because they understand that mindset is the margin between winning and losing.

For traders, adopting the same high-performance philosophy can transform results.

The Missing Puzzle Piece in Trading: The Mental Edge

If you have a solid trading plan but struggle with breaking rules, emotional trading, or leaving profits on the table, your mental edge might be the missing piece.

Many believe trading discipline is just about willpower, but that’s a misconception.

When you enter a trade, you’re stepping into an arena with your conscious and subconscious mind, which brings along a lifetime of beliefs and patterns.

Relying solely on willpower or gimmicks like hiding your profit and loss (PNL) underestimates the complexity of human psychology. 

The mental edge is about controlling your mindset, emotions, and actions so you can execute your trading plan flawlessly—every single time. 

The best part? 

This skill can be systematically trained.

Three Components of the Trading Mental Edge

Your mental edge comprises three core components: mental conditioning, resilience, and high-performance habits. 

Think of these as the heat, oxygen, and fuel that keep the fire of performance burning. If any component is missing, your trading can’t thrive.

Like refining your trading plan, these elements require ongoing attention. They’re not destinations to reach but practices to maintain for sustainable peak performance.

A Three-Step System to Sharpen Your Mental Edge

Let’s break down the three components and how you can optimize them using principles from sports psychology.

1. Mental Conditioning

Mental conditioning trains your mind to achieve peak performance. This is where you address issues like breaking trading rules, emotional trading, or elevating your existing strengths. Sports psychology offers a wealth of evidence-based techniques you can apply:

• Self-Talk and Affirmations: Replace negative thoughts and reprogram your subconscious mind with empowering statements.
• Visualization: Mentally rehearse successful trades to build confidence.
• Goal Setting: Define clear, actionable objectives.
• Relaxation Strategies: Use mindfulness or deep breathing to manage stress.

For example, my free Trader Affirmations Audio Resource helps program your subconscious mind for trading success. Regularly practicing these techniques builds the foundation for mental strength.

2. Resilience

Reaching peak performance once is an achievement, but sustaining it under pressure requires resilience. Losses and setbacks are inevitable in trading, and how you respond makes all the difference.

Resilience is your ability to maintain peak performance despite challenges. You can use evidence-based techniques to strengthen resilience.

For example, simply reframing your perception of pressure can help you mitigate the effects of it on your trading.

Instead of interpreting pre-trade adrenaline as anxiety, reframe it as excitement—a sign you’re ready to perform. This mental shift can improve focus and execution.

Want to reframe your relationship with pressure? Try my guided meditation resource to profit under pressure. Simple tools like this can have profound effects on how you handle setbacks.

3. High-Performance Habits

Without structure, even the best mental conditioning and resilience strategies can falter.

High-performance habits provide the framework for consistent success. These are the rituals and routines that support your trading plan execution day after day.

Professional athletes understand that their lifestyle impacts performance. For traders, factors like sleep, nutrition, stress management, and overall happiness directly influence your actions in the market.

Taking a holistic approach to your habits elevates your trading to a professional level.

One of the most effective habits for traders is a pre-trading mental preparation routine.

Just as athletes use pre-game rituals to get in the zone, traders can create a 10-minute routine to achieve an optimal state before entering the market.

Here’s a simple example:

1. Goal Setting: Define your focus for the trading day.
2. Meditation: Calm your mind to reduce emotional reactivity.
3. Affirmations: Program your subconscious mind for success.

Consistency is key. Over time, this routine becomes a cue for your brain to focus and block out distractions.

As a result, you’ll approach trading with clarity and control.

The Bottom Line

Your mental edge is critical to trading success, but it doesn’t have to be elusive or mysterious.

By leveraging proven techniques from sports psychology, you can systematically train your mindset for peak performance.

Remember, the principles that help athletes win championships can also help you master the markets.

Take action today to develop your mental edge—and transform your trading performance into a championship-caliber effort.

Three Ways I Can Help You Master Your Trading Psychology

Want to learn more?

1. Join The Trading Psychology Masterclass (Free):  Join my FREE masterclass to learn the secrets to overcome some of the most common trading psychology challenges that hold traders back from reaching consistent profitability. Plus get two FREE bonuses to help you apply the insights covered in the masterclass to your trading for maximum impact.
2. Enrol in Go Deep to Level Up Your Trading: This is my signature Trading Psychology Program to help you permanently end destructive trading habits and reach pro-level consistency in as little as 8 weeks.
3. Unbreakable Trading Psychology —The Book. Join the waitlist for my upcoming book: Unbreakable Trading Psychology: The Seven Principle Playbook for Building a Razor-Sharp Mental Edge. Launching in 2025.

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