Hola Big Swingin' Dick Johnson! I cannot lie. I had a furious run of pussy last fall and actively slowed down to get the year off to a good start with lots of work on trading. Thus, sadly I attempt to refrain from 'hog heaven' during the week. There are literally 5 bars within 1/2 mile of my house and I fight the good fight most of the time during the week. I would have a live-in lifestyle slave or hog (wife/gf--call it what you want); that is a bad Reward:Risk setup and a liability to boot. I applaud the pimps that can keep that shit under control. peace Hedvig
man, you don' know some of the crazy traders I knew. One had his drivers liscence suspended so many time it finally got revoked and he showed up every morning in a limo with a bottle of scotch. And he was an oldtimer when I was just starting out. another bet everything on every trade and when he won he bought his wife a new car or whatever else she wanted. They never had any "quiet" time. For them quiet time was going to Las Vegas to unwind. The only time I ever saw them worried was on a Monday after Las Vegas junket. as for me, I'm not that way. I like peace and quiet, and the only place I find it is when I'm trading. Thank g-d for forex , it's 24/7 peace. But Fri no trading till sunday, that's why weekends are so stressful for me.
All good humor aside, I find it incredibly important to have at least 1 or 2 other real 'interests' outside of trading. Some people can multi-task and find balance in many areas of life outside their vocation. If you are a type A male this is something that has to be worked on continuously. Some good replies in this thread so far. Building slowly but steadily into a balanced routine or things outside of trading has rewards over time. Another blog I like to read is from a trader (a very good trader who trades in his comfort zone and the hours he prefers). Here is his blog. http://sniperdaytrading.com/sniper-blog/ His best post in quite some time (in my opinion) was http://sniperdaytrading.com/2012/02/how-to-handle-trading-losses/ I won't comment on the method he is using; that is not the point of the thread. Funny aside; I sit on my ass for many hours per day (like all of us). A few months ago I bought a teeter inversion table to keep my spine decompressed and every single time I felt the FOMO urge ('fear of missing out'--from Andrew's article) I would invert and 'hang' out until the feeling passed! I think Andrew's blog post is deeply personal to alot of traders and many will shy away from really reflecting on what it means to them. Not sure this analogy is going to mean anything but say you are working out and lifting weights like a fiend (your big 'edge') and every night you eat an extra 2,000 calories (bad psychology and execution and trade management)--all your work is for naught because you look like a big flabby bloated man, though you have a nice solid base of muscle underneath. Another guy works out moderately but consistently (small define-able edge that consistently works) but has nearly perfect diet (flawless psychology and execution and trade management) and his lean muscle mass shows off nicely because he has very little body fat because his diet is 'clean' for many consecutive years. Who catches a woman's eye 1st? Who takes money from the market consistently? Later... Peace Hedvig
I re-attended this man's webinar this week (I attend at least 2 psychology webinars per week or watch archived ones). I like his style. http://www.daytrading-doc.com/ I am a 100% 'right-brained' trader; so that is why I started the thread so that others may see how to 'balance' that and how trading is related to this behavorial/personality type. My journal(s) are my attempts to practice more of my 'left-brained' skillset on a daily basis. I share my Friday journal (Deep thoughts) because I am usually getting ready to go shopping by around 10:15am est. I shop for meat on Friday. 'The kind of meat that's between a chick's legs.' Earlier in the thread, NoDoji wrote: "The conversion happens when you truly believe the future is unknowable. We have such a problem with that as a concept, as though we hate it with all our being. Start thinking you know the outcome and you have already slipped. That belief in chaos sets us free. Without having to think we can act simply and quickly on probabilities, without all the drama." [/B][/QUOTE] --------------- My Friday 'Deep Thoughts' from my trading journal (below). Thank you for this contribution NoDoji! ------------------- Weekly results Tuesday 2/28/12-3/02/12 No trading Monday (out of town) nor Tuesday a.m. (outside office appointments). Was done by 10:17am est (per my Friday trading rules). 29 trades 14 wins 2 losses {-$400.00, -$600.00} 13 b.e. (many ***keystroke errors*** this week) +$7250.00 net/0.64X's weekly goal I risk 0.5% up to 1% of total $$ allocated per contract on any intraday trade I initiate. --------------- EliteTrader quote: "If you want to be the best you can be then the extra time is spent on developing your art to take it to the highest levels. That might add 40%++ to your winners and reduce an already small number of losers, but even without that extra effort you'd be making a killing." A poster, 'Monpere' @ www.bigmiketrading wrote the following (which I agree with). "In terms of expecting to win everyday...I expect to win everyday I sit at that trading chair. If I trade well in accordance to my plan and market condition, and still have a losing day, that is perfectly acceptable, that is the way it goes sometimes. But, if I have a losing day because I made numerous mistakes, or took unnecessary risk, or went outside of my plan, wrong market condition, or was sick, in a bad mood, wrong mental state, etc. etc., then that should not be acceptable, I need to identify these things and work on them." -------------------------- My Friday Intraday Trading journal is below (just my intraday stuff; my daily & swingtrading journals are updated end of each day and weekly). My trading partner and myself are the intended audience. He doesn't trade intraday but he gives me valuable feedback. I am a right-brained trader and he is a left-brain trader; synergy. ----------------------------- Daily Comments: Next week I begin again to show you the dollar risk per trade (you might be surprised how low it is) using 2:1 and up to 2.5:1 Reward to Risk setups. Some of my trades are literally $250.00 risk on 10 NQ cars and 10 lot 6B or 5 lot 6E. Some 5 lot CL trades are as low as $500.00 risk. A good amount of trades are $350.00 risk on NQ, $400.00 on 6B/6E and $700.00 on CL. Today's Psychology Notes: 6B: I patiently waited for a suitable 6B trade for over 30 minutes and then took it without hesitation. CL: This one was done about 10 minutes after the pit open. NQ: Had a quick b.e. and then took a short break and properly took the next qualified setup for a win. 2nd trade was focused; like a gay & robotic (short/angry/closeted) Hollywood A-List Tom Cruise at a Scientology pep convention. Done by 10:17am est Long week here and I now go drink my drink and go take a hot tub. AM: 4 trades/3wins/1 b.e. +$1630.75 net 6B: 1 trade/1 win & done +7ticks gross, +6ticks net, +$397.50 net CL: 1 trade/1 win & done +20cents gross, +19cents net, +$977.50 net NQ: 2 trades/1 win/1 b.e. {b.e., +8ticks} +6ticks net, +$320.00 net Peace & Blessings! Archbishop Hedvig Von Dikkeman V
I used visualization to get my driver license when I immigrated to U.S, i real driving one week then passed in the first road exam. I practice driving in my meomry. very effective. in the learning stage, visualization is good. but after you mastered it, it is a distraction, will create negative sideeffects. you may freeze if new things come out. when I go to bed, try my best to forget about what happened in the day, read some boring books or listen to music or do exercise . then next day when I wake up, I feel I am full of energy, and the most important is I feel I can trade any market whether random or trending or crazy or thin or thick. forget about what happened as soon as possible, focus on what is next, make me far ahead of the game. visualization makes you think in habitual way. that may delay your response to new opportunities. life has no reharsal! market too. if you visualized a range band day, what if you get a strong crazy trending day? or visce visa. so after you master it, the things bceomerepare, not visualize.