My Path To Success

My advice for those who want to get started in trading: DONT.

The only reason I even bothered was because at my best at it. My success certainly isn't guaranteed but it becomes more and more probable every day. Even still, the cost is very high.

I mean my life is basically nothing but work and work on trading. Basic living stuff doesn't enter into the equation. Only doing what's required to survive outside of trading. Outside of winning.. become somewhat like a disturbed person.

The only difference is that the trader is hopefully winning and as long as he's winning then everything is good. One becomes somewhat like a slave. But, the master is ones own self.

So, don't do it. Don't look at the market. If you invest keep it casual, low leverage, just don't bother. Just don't bother because mathematically it doesn't add up.

For those who are determined, nothing I say will dissuade you but maybe I reach some of you half-hearted clowns. Maybe I reach somebody.

As for me, I have to keep serving because I was gifted with the talent. And the talent is the yoke and the art.

Really there are only 2 types of people who should care about the market:

1. Professionals (professional traders, hedge fund managers, etc i.e make living from it)
2. Those who have more a ton more money invested then they make from working, i.e the wealthy and super wealthy.

Notice the group doesn't include the middle class, the upper middle class, the poor, students, people who read a book, and passionate people.

 

And it certainly doesn't include you. Reading your log was so painful.

 

Please post your bio. Age background etc.

 

A little update, I've managed to keep most of my recent run in profits. In the past, I would take big hits because I got to where I didn't want to take any losers after a record run. But now I'm aware that can be a trap to get into.

I'm trying to learn to trade in "size". I've typically been a day swing trader versus a trading with larger size to take out a measured target. I'm trying to do 1k+ per day and it would require too much leverage to hold for a "day swing" with a reasonable stop. One thing I recognize is I need better tools for trading with larger size and for hitting my 1k+ goal and so I'm focused on developing tools.

But, I think also that I have to be able to change gears. Some of my techniques work well in some markets and not others. I think that learning to properly change the gears in my trading styles will be really critical to hitting my maximum return potential.

So, I'm entertaining different methodologies.. different techniques.. etc all at same time.

I like the idea too of having different strategies requiring different levels of my performance. Some of the ones I've did a long time don't require a high level of performance on my part whereas some require an extreme level of performance. I think that by having a broader base of trading styles that it will help me.. If i can't trade to extreme performance then I can just go back to bread*butter or the book edges.

The other thing on my mind is that I never needed a system or even a method to predict the market. My abilities are the primary reason I even bother. But, it is also a trap to get into thinking that I don't any data, although I've did amazing things without data even. But yeah that's the trap because some of my best work came from taking 4 or 5 systems and using that with my abilities.

I think that most people don't make it because they don't have enough resources to make it in terms of edges, in terms of ability. I've been blessed with the strongest of natural abilities and even in building systems that actually perform. But I don't have enough edges.. I don't think.

It takes a lot of work to get an edge. Then you get kinda lazy with it.. And so for me this is all about doing what I do best which is predicting the market with my mind and my tools.

I see the entire market like a landscape. I'm in the watch tower. Seeing everything. Everything. Nobody makes a move in my market without my knowledge. This my market. This is my house. That's my sentiment. But for it to be my house then I must have the edge. I guess what I'm getting at is... success begets success and success begets confidence. It can be help or hindrance.

Making the big money is very important to me. I mean it is extremely important I get rewarded. But,winning as important if not more. It may not be rational but there is such a great reward in knowing what will happen next. It becomes everything. Predicting because its connecting things and it is self rewarding.

I think there may be some truth that I didn't trade or haven't made as much an effort to trade with the meager capital that I had because I though it might hurt my performance. Not so much losing the money but I didn't want to take away from my achieving my best.

Just gotta keep working.. hit my stride again soon. Really hit right.. I can go 40-50 predictions in a row if I can get connected. Gotta get sized.. That's been my bane. Gotta get the edge. Need more edges.

Just gotta remember that I pretty much hits singles. Just do what I do.

One thing when trading greater leverage in relation to account size is that can be harder to shuck losers easily. I mean psychologically -- not due to market liquidity. The frictions hurt the account at a much greater rate. When I trade more leveraged then I certainly can feel it is harder to let my losses go. So, I'm visualizing too just easily getting out of those bad trades.. just quickly.. easily and effortlessly. Just let em go.

Trading with size puts a different perspective on things because you don't need to catch a huge rally to make a lot. A lot can be a little and a little can be a lot. Its a different way of me viewing it. Not saying its right or wrong but from where I was coming from which was "find the opportunity 24/7" and that worked great for me. It's a tool that I may need. To this idea, this is a different "cap" where it doesn't matter because a small trade can be worth as much as a big trend. Different.

 

For all those reading this inane thread keep in mind this legend in his own mind is a paper trader. He hasn't quite figured out how to make the transition to real money. He naively believes that if he can become successful as a paper trader it will enable him to raise a large sum of real money capital to trade. While there may be a lot of suckers in this world, I doubt any such suckers would fund this obviously very disturbed young lad who is about as detached from reality as any I've ever seen on this forum.

 

Kbaines, actually got several subscribers to my system. I haven't had many in past, a couple times a trader opened a real contract but didn't stay with me. So, dunno if these guys are trading demo or real. But, I figure if I can keep building my record then in time that I can make enough to fund my account as I now have a top ranked #4 out of all futures systems on C2.

No, I think one thing I'm realizing is that there are other great traders out there. My "savant ability" is calling direction without with any structural edge. But I purchase some books on spread trading and have read how the futures market spread makers are able to do some amazing things and was reading Mavericks thread about NYSE tape-reading. I didn't realize that tape reading on the NYSE was so much different then what I'm able to do in futures, although I read the quotes.
What is clear, is that everyone has something they are good at.

I'm always trying to learn and gain more edge. I feel like it will be extremely difficult for me to do the returns that the NYSE traders or prop traders or traders who have structural edges to what I do in futures market.

So, I'm trying to think about things. I would rather just keep doing what I've been doing but gain some extra edge. I feel like I can great things in the futures. I mean really great things. But that doesn't mean I've proven it.

I think that people extrapolate too much. I've been thinking of thinking of myself as a futures market maker even though I always enter on market and exit on limit and have no market maker edge. It's just an idea right now. I guess what I'm getting at is that I might not be a great NYSE tape reader or trader. I never tried so I don't know. But, I know I'm strong in futures.

I mean if I could make a living then I'd much rather make 30% returns in the futures market, i.e for an investor or make my money from fees, then I would by trading to day trade on the NYSE. Even though it sounds like those guys make more then any futures traders could. But, its a different game. Sometimes I'd like to get some more selectivity then what I get in the futures, to make a more refined statement. In general though, I do what I do because I enjoy it. A lot of traders, even my "book mentor" Gary Smith didn't sound like he enjoyed the game. I enjoy the game though. My game may not be your game but I enjoy my game.

I would rather find success in trading my style then even to go to work for a hedge fund. I've always said if I had 70k I could do great things... in the futures market. So now it is time for me to demonstrate it.. This is a new phase and challenge for me because I was 100% focused on trading a tiny account.

Now I'm driven to do something great. It is time for me to get connected to the source and serve.

Having said that, there are different ways to do something great. I don't know my limits. And part of these experiments is to find my own abilities. Gary Smith did his "something great" over many years. That was his way of winning. Yes, it would be nice to be a trader making a few million but it would be much nicer to do it my way -- and make say half a million . That's not to say that I'm not trying to learn from others more experience, take every opportunity, and learn as much as possible. But, yes I need to keep what is authentic.. keep what is strong. Stick to strengths.

 

OK Lucias, you win. I have been brutal in my attacks on you the past month or so. Yet you seem to take them in stride and never strike back in anger. So no more personal attacks from me. Instead, I wish you the best of luck and hope all your trading dreams come true.

 

If you had a savant ability, you'd already be rich.

 

Just open a frickin oanda account. You can scale it to your acct size. With your ridiculous talent you will compound it up until you own Europe. Screw backers.

 

Well said baggerlord. Surprised that it's gotten even worse since the last time I checked out this thread months ago. Incredible.