I've been around the block a few times and one thing I've seen from traders posting a public online written journal to correct discipline problems or consistent trading mistakes is that the journal always fails in that department. One thing I've learned from others with problems like yours is that the cause of the problems is not trading related. The problem is that something occurring in your home or office where you trade and/or is related to unresolved issues in your personal life is empowering you to sabotage your trading. Here are better solutions if you're serious about fixing your problems... 1) Do live video recordings of your trading sessions via something like Camtasia Studio or similar like. 2) Document your trading environment at home or office (your surroundings). 3) Disclose in your video journal all personal issues even if you think they have no impact on trading. 4) Share all the above with other traders and other none traders that seem to have a grasp on managing their job tasks (on the job and away from the job). Just remember this, most failed traders failed prior to their first trade. Simply, most are not suitable for trading prior to deciding to be a trader because they bring too much baggage to the table. Last of all, are your or are you not profitable for 2009. If profitable...you reaching your goals ??? Mark
true. I have personal issue with my wife. when i made money, she is ok. but if I lost, even a great trade (cutting loss acoording to the plan), she will yell at me. just weeks ago, she complained i did not cook luch timely, she pull off my computer line, while I was longing clq9, that made me mad, i left the desk and ate at the resturant, when I went back, I saw i lost 1point more there. so far 2009, I did not make money yet, at the beginning of 2009, i upgrded my account to future account, lost some, currently I am gaining back. most drawdowns are from my wife's sabtaging, admitted. plus my strong ego. the good thing is my wife started to accept teh fact I commited to trading seriously after many talks with her, shew her why she should not interrupt me and anger me and stire up my ego. she started to understand trading needs focus just like a regular job, need hard diligent work.
my personal problems do did transfer to my trading activities. like today, I did plan the AIG trade. in the opening, I already put out my stop buy there. but around 10:00AM to 11:00Pm, someone would come to my house to replace a not working dish washer, I was anticiptating the wash disher fixing guy come, so I could not ride the market according to my plan. I got out even the market did not say the move is not over yet, then remove the stop buy order (i think that is the right thing since market may do false breakout, I should be in the scene). the good thing is from this september, those obstacles will disappear. my young son will go to pre-school full-day, my old son will be in elemental chool full day too, my wife will not work at home throught VPO, so just me and the computer.
Yeah...once you resolve things with your spouse...you can develop that one edge in trading that most traders underestimate... Family support because that type of support will help you get back on your feet when things are not going well or keep you stable. It's an edge. Mark
thanks your encoragement. I have a great day on sweet crude, AIG and IMMU. I already got the answer. that is very great. so I decided to end my journal here. thanks again.