I know you're a consistently profitable trader because only a trader who finally gets it understands these two concepts out of hard-earned experience.
If you have a passion and your responsibilities are few, or covered, you will regret it for the rest of your life if you did not take a chance. I am semi-retired engineer who has had an intense passion for the projects I participated in or led. Then I was downsized. I found new passions that also produce income. Now trading is my passion. If you have the right mind-set and the passion, it will take you through the hard work and sleepless nights with joy. You will wake up with an idea, leap from your bed and go think on it for a bit, or do an experiment, or read some more, or whatever you think will advance your passion. I've been blessed to have experienced this cycle several times in my life. I recommend it, but it's not for everyone. Call it a healthy addiction that is legal and produces income. Live long and prosper.
"What I mean is - I never gave up. I just told my self, IF SOMEONE CAN DO IT _ SO CAN I. period." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
36. We stop thinking and allow <del>our rules</del> RoboNod to trade for us (trading becomes boring, but successful) and our trading account continues to grow as we increase our contract size. Ask your kind programming husband
It's not a club we volunteered to join. I could have done without the ego kill. But life goes on and success is the best revenge. Good luck with your future.
When you are making five times what you make at your full time job, each month for a year then it is an option to quit your job. It takes at least two years plus for most to have a decent shot at seeing if they are capable of making this a living. I would ask you how you did in sim trading? Were you profitable 90% of the days? Are you these profitable days much larger than your losing days? By going to your full time job, you make money each day, can you nearly do so trading sim? I think the best way to relieve the stress is having something on the side to cover all your expenses, you don't want to take a step down in life to try a different career, would will have to work more hours, but that is expected. If it was me, I would break down by the hour, where the blunt of your profits come, then work other five.
I am still working as an engineer but in California. I trade ES and Euro in the morning to catch the openings and then K200 and Euro in the evenings and usually get the Japan closing action. All very liquid and plenty of action. You don't need to quit the day job to see if you can make money. These days I like K200 and Euro better than ES.... Using InteractiveBrokers I can set an alert when a price level is hit and an SMS message is sent to my iphone. I have InteractiveBrokers and Oanda apps on my iPhone. I will get the next gen iPad when they are announced (maybe next week???). I spend more time 'planning' than I do 'trading'.... My goal for 2011 is to add interest rate screens and increase scale. The day job has great health and 401k benefits and differed tax on salary so I will stay there until I get kicked out. Last year this approach worked out very well. Good luck in 2011!!!