ammo referred me to this quiz: What type of trader are you? http://www.tharptradertest.com/default.aspx?question=1 It's accurate as far as knowing my trading style. Small profits and almost no homeruns. Just like what I used to do poker.
it was on another thread here in et, i got it from that guy,can't remember who, i think it's in the psychology forum
you mentioned an epiphany earlier about really being good about taking losers,imagine the old saying sink or swim,i'm gonna teach you how to swim by throwing you in the colorado rapids,you can't swim but the current pushes you to a rock or a branch and you hang on til the current knocks you loose,eventually you will swim or drown, at some point you have to say i 'm gonna drown if i don't learn how to swim right at this moment,you have done enough trades to know when to get in and when to get out,so your swimming,now you must forget that you didn't know how to swim,that's in the past, and try to swim better,be choosy about your entries and your exits.Thats trading in a nutshell.you can fine tune it but you will always remember to make smart choices.
Really undisciplined today. I'm on the road to destruction for some reason. Some personal problems coming up on top of just not feeling good today. Breaking too many rules, just shoulda stayed away today. Sigh. Always tomorrow I guess. 10 trades. -668 Acct balance: $1,945 / 10K
Getting desperate now. I'm going to take on a completely new system I've been watching for a while now tomorrow. I need to change something fast about my trading habits.
Did not know IB allows you to trade with only 1,900 so many contracts so many things (gold, ym, hsi, etc)
No, the margins are higher, 5400 for gold. I have more in the account but this is what I'm risking for now. Basically a stopping point for me if this amount reaches zero.
Hey Blu, I know how you feel. I'm in a similar predicament, trading futures with a small account. If it makes you feel better, have a look at my thread I started a couple of weeks ago: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122047&perpage=6&pagenumber=1 Good luck with your trading!
Indexscalper: Thanks, i read your journal. Tough task, i started with substianially more capital, but much less experience. But experience is what matters. i wish you luck. Today's balance: 1,880 4 gold, 2 YM. -65 Today I traded with an extremely clear head. Missed the timing of gold a few times but worked my way back from an early loss of 200, through the YM. I put my personal problems on hold for a week, so I can trade clear headed with no additional stress, for now.
Starting:10,000 Week1: 9,074 Week2: 10,016 Week3: 9,215 Week4: 8,965 Week5: 6,829 Week6: 2399 Week7: 2049 Week8 (current): 1889 This week: Officially 2 months done now, learned alot these past 2 months. Looked like cake walk when I was paper-trading this thing back a few months ago. Now I'm beginning to be doubtful I have the self-control to survive this business. Everytime I take home some large profits early in the week, I always give it all back before the end of the week. Gotta work on that. Today: Didn't trade, gold was extra choppy today, low volume and unpredictable. YM was good paper-trading, seemed to trend really well today but I didn't have the nerve to do a live trade in it for some reason.