Back in 2008 I created a blog to help me build the level of discipline needed to make regular profits on Betfair. I had been trading the Formula 1 markets on Betfair for a number of years but always as a bit of a hobby, a bit of fun. I wanted to take things more seriously and felt a blog that could be used as a diary to learn from, to share ideas with others and more importantly – announce my losses and make sure I learnt from them. The old blog can be found here http://flutterflyf1.blogspot.com/ in its original glory.

In 2009 I felt I had out grown the blog as seems to happen with so many of these ‘trading blogs’. Instead of providing a valuable resource it was becoming a burden. I also didn’t want to share some of the information (how selfish of me!) because I suspected things would be different in the 2009 F1 season (which Jenson Button will probably be more than happy to explain).

I have now traded the F1 markets for 5 years and made a profit every season, each year improving on the last with 2009 being my most successful. F1 is the only market I trade which means my Betfair account has (other than the first few months) always been in profit – something I’m pretty proud of.

Me in JPS Lotus

So here we are in 2010 and I’ve started the blog up again. Why?

I was recently left my job of 8 years with a well known insurance company. The only reason I mention it is because the whole experience has made me notice one potentially massive thing was missing from everything I’ve ever tried to do – determination. I had always made comments along the lines of ‘I want to start my own business’, ‘I want to make £x from trading on Betfair’, ‘I want to be involved in the world of F1 because I love it’ but nothing ever seemed to come of those ideas.

Did I ever do anything too really, really, really make these things happen – no.

I now realise that I was never going to get these things because I just wasn’t determined enough to risk everything for them. Maybe risking everything is a bit extreme but the problem is they were just idea’s and never amounted to anything more. When I think about it most success stories start from an event some people would see as a negative thing. I’m determined to put a positive spin on this and use the experience to motivate me and keep me working towards those goals.

So that’s why I started the blog again. This will be my window to the world, my diary and constant reminder that I should be working towards a dream and not wasting my life away playing on a games console. This blog is for me, for my benefit, but I hope along the way others can find some value from it (in not just the betting sense either!).

Enjoy….and remember to gamble sensibly.

John