Don't think it's possible to be at peak levels every day. Unlike a pro athelete there is no contract so you don't get paid for the game even if you're off a bit. This adds to the daily stress load. My best attempt is to stay in the best shape I can through exercise and proper diet. Mentally I meditate in the evening for 20 min or so to sort of calm my being down. What we do can have a constant stress load. Some times I sit down in the a m and say , I just don't feel like looking at this crap today and go sailing. The ocean brings me back to the natural rythms of life , putting things in perspective, and I'm ready for the next day.
Getting lost in the flow of the game is all the motivation I need to play... BUT if you are asking what sort of routines we do to be in the optimal state to perform at a peak level... 1) FITNESS is extremely important for me, I NEED to be able to bring enough physical energy to the game to ensure the proper amount of psychic energy... For me this is an absolute MUST, for when i dont, I have a hard time staying in the flow... I do about 250 pushups and 500 crunches EVERY morning and then i either run 3 miles or lift weights depending on the day... 2) DIET this pretty much goes along the same lines as the fitness, I drink mass amounts of water during the day and i always eat a healthy breakfast and a solid lunch... Actualy and some of you may think this is a little extreme but i have given up sugar all together to better my focus for trading... 3) VISULIZATION I spend about 20 mins each morning visualizing the flow of the markets and me getting swept away in it 4) Za-zen Meditation This is also an absolut emust for me, I spend about a 1/2 hr in morning and then another 20mins or so once during the day (doldrums) sitting quietly doing nothing... Thats my routine day in and day out... This helps insure enough physical energy is being brought to tha table and it insures that my mind is also in tip top shape... As for motivation, understand that i do this for no external purposes whatsoever, THE GAME itself is enough motivation for me PEACE and good trading, Commisso
I think if you are confortable with your trading style it should not require too much trouble getting to trade. nothing against meditation, on the contrary. I was doing a lot of it when the trading style was just too much for me. it does not have to be this way, again, that's just my opinion, commisso you are surely doing what is right for you. I like very much your comment on the visualization though. That I still do. Each night, knowing my positions (guys, don't even think about it!), I go through the different scenarios for the next day. The goal is to know what to do in the different cases. Visualization helps by going through the routine of what should be done. The funny thing is, it works for both my intraday and multiday positions. The holding time is not that important. what is important is to know you can handle whatever happens : normal day action, surprise big news (good or bad), goals to achieve with the trades etc.. for those who follow my comments here, this exercise is great to go beyond system trading. it's very flexible enabling me to adapt to market conditions. that's a big part of motivation : looking forward what will happen. also knowing you can handle whatever happens. You can't control or predict the market. You can handle though. When you feel that, it's a great motivation. remember to keep it simple and not too hard on yourself. tntneo
Hahaha thats pretty funny Nitro why would you ask that??? but no i am not a black beret, just very dedicated to this game and will make almost any sacrafice needed to bring all i have each and every day.... I have practiced the gentle art of aikido though for the last 2 years which has made a profound effect on my trading... PEACE and good trading, Commisso
I have a regimen very similar to yours, the only difference being that, due to rigid time constraints, I combine the visualization and fitness. So I spend about 3 minutes each morning visualizing myself doing 250 pushups and 500 crunches, not to mention the 3 mile run and weightlifting. And all this while still in bed.
Tom, Tom, Tom, I've warned you about all that exercise. C'mon man, don't over-do it, leave some energy for trading...
Several years ago I have spent a lot of time researching on the topic of personal fitness. Here some thoughts: The basic energy that the brain uses is oxygen. The brain weights only about 1,5kg so it's about 2% of the total body weight but this 2% uses 50% of the oxygen that we breath in. Now when we do fitness as a consequence our muscles get stronger and they can save more oxygen. Our lounge widens and can breath in more oxygen in each breath. And as a consequence the brain gets more power... more oxygen. Therefore the brain has more power to concentrate. Diet: You know what happens when you go to McDonald's eat a big mac menu... your bloodsugar level rises very fast and then after 10 to 25 minutes it falls down way below the comfortable level. As a consequence you get tired very fast... you don't feel fresh.. you feel bad. This is because your body has to get along with this high bloodsugar level that is caused by the bad quality of carbohydrates combined with bad quality egg-white which are in the big mac. Meditation: There is one very basic element in Meditation that I use for trading and that is helpful in any situation of stress in life. It's the ability to relax when stress arises. In Trading when you had a bad trade.. take a 10min break from the markets.. relax.. concentrate on yourself.. your breathing.. with any kind of meditation.. and then go back relaxed with a clear eye for the next opportunities All these topics could go on forever... and I think Commisso could be a model for most humans that live in the western countries. I think these factors are not only important to trading.. they are important to life! Maybe the next generation of trading books will focus on those elements ;o) Alain (Switzerland)