Phase 1 -- Newbie trader- Overtrading, Grasping, No stops, Don't want to be wrong. Phase 2--Trader beginning to realize that stops must be placed. However, due to wanting to be right, stops are placed way away from the market so as to give tremendous leeway in hopes of being correct. Trading slows down but sophomoric trader still takes experimental trades without regard for bigger picture and the current trend. Phase 3-- "Socratic" with trader asking questions like "Wouldn't I be better off just taking a real small loss and taking a full profit target. Trader begins to realize that commissions play a huge part in profitability and success, Trading slows a bit more and the trader realizes that perhaps just one or two trades a day or a week using high leverage and small stops is all that is needed to outperform the market. Occasionally, but increasingly, trader follows prudent money management rules. From time to time trader gets stopped out for small loss and gets right back in for huge success. Phase 4--Trader is now accepting the fact that he can be wrong a lot and be a winner. The individual trusts his rules 75 to 80 percent of the time and is rewarded thusly. During this phase, the trader realizes that there is no perfect entry and exit system and that his ability to control losses and obtaining full profit targets when right are his edge in this business. Trader begins to see snake oil for exactly what it is. Trader commences acceptance of the bigger picture and looks at longer time frames first before deciding upon entries on smaller frame charts. Trader removes most of the emotion from trading. Phase 5--Trader follows rules 100 percent of the time. Trader trades with no emotion. Trader views endeavor as business. Trader exercises tiny stops and very prudent money management techniques. There is no question concerning trader's success in the future.
And who has already reached the fifth phase? Please share your experience. I always wonder what special rules a successful trader uses.
what if every order you enter goes negative and you die by 1000 cuts. Or you have great entries and sell 10 cents away just to see every bet you make go up a dollar
Then put in the effort - learn how to trade..., the mkt..., the participants..., the techniques..., PA..., you instrument of choice's infrastructure Or..., Continue losing This ain't rocket science RN
I'm on Phase 6 " Trader transitioned to longer term holding periods ( months and years ) via the research and development of "tactical asset allocation" models ( investor ?) based on empirically derived, "non subjective" variables. This after realizing that: 1) over long time frames, markets disseminate and aggregate fundamental and monetary information into the formation of higher probability forecastable and persistent long length trends, and over shorter term frames, information dissemination represents randomness 2) the people who have made the best returns are those who work with the geometric compounding power of the longer term ( Icahn, Buffet, Miller, Marks, etc ) 3) trader didn't have the time anymore ( because as life unfolds, one ultimately has to pay the mortgage, get the kids to lessons, clean the house, help nieces and nephews / visit aging parents more often, worry more, etc ) which, over time, had diminished mental resources needed to deal with the "whipsawing" nature of short term randomness 4) there's an "allure" in the story that shorter term "trading" produces great returns, but in the end, it is just a self induced, dopamine driven illusion generated by the "excitement" that is implied by colorful charts, stories, and personalities.