Have you every considered trading on the stock market, as a way of making extra money?The kind of thing I am thinking of is day trading, spread betting, swing trading and online currency trading or foreign exchange trading, more commonly known as Forex trading or fx trading.You may laugh, but it’s not a joke. I used to think financial trading was something you could only do as a member of a financial institution, or as a broker. I also thought that you would have to have specialist tools. I thought you had to work for a bank or stock broker. I’m sure you know the guys I mean; they are the people who make huge amounts of money and get enormous bonuses.It really never occurred to me that trading on your own, for your own benefit was a possibility.Well, I have discovered that trading is an option for anyone. Anyone can be a trader. All you need to become a successful trader, is to learn some basic skills, and although it looks complicated, it really isn’t rocket science.I’m not winding you up. When you think about it, all successful traders had to learn how to do it. They weren’t born trading! They are no more a genius than you or I.To become a successful trader, all you need is to learn how to apply and follow some rules.It’s just like learning anything else.Just think how complicated and impossible some things seem until you realise that other people have learned how to do it – riding a bicycle, swimming, parachuting.There are things you need to learn in order to master any skill. And, of course, you need to manage some risks.But, the most exciting thing about learning any skill is that, once you have learned it, you can continue to use that skill forever.Well, it’s the same with trading. Once you have learned to trade successfully, you can continue to trade forever. And what’s even better, you could teach your kids to trade too so that they can apply the skill. Imagine how good it would feel not to have to worry about whether your kids had enough money!When you have learned to trade, you can trade as much, or as little as you like. You can put a trade on first thing in the morning, and finish work by 11.00 am when you have collected 100 pips. When you know how to trade, you will know how to make money when stocks are going down, and when they are going up. Sounds impossible doesn’t it? But, it’s just as simple!You can trade from the beaches of Mauritius or Greece! All you need is an internet connection, and an account with a trading platform.The fact is, that Swing Trading or Day Trading could massively improve your lifestyle.I came across Lee Stanford at an event in London a couple of years ago. He used to be an internationally successful rugby player. When he retired as a rugby player he took up trading and became extremely successful at it. He was so successful at trading, he started his own school to teach others how to become successful traders. The school he started, Trading College, is now one of the most successful and respected trading schools in the UK, and runs regular courses on day trading, spread betting, swing trading and Forex trading.Lee Stanford teaches complete novices to make money trading. His whole approach is to make trading simple; to remove the mystery. If you can understand traffic lights, you can manage this.Lee has developed a range of unique indicators to simplify the process – Trading with Colours – green for go, and red for stop! He has thought the process through really well.When you enroll for the Trading with Colours beginners course you get sent some advance material: four introductory videos to get you started, including (1) how to open an account, (2) charts, (3) trading strategy and (4) money management. The course is over several days and includes a very comprehensive introduction to trading, placing a trade, setting up your charts, managing trades, when to enter a trade, trigger pullback and entry, markets to trade and those to avoid, trading psychology, understanding trends, technical analysis, and automating your trades, and a lot more besides.When I met one of his students, Lisa, she was doubling her bank every six months. Trading is really not just for the experts. If you apply some common sense, you can become a successful trader too.