What was the ***last*** thing you had to master before becoming profitable?

You are lucky to be into trading : the market will reflect back to you any self-delusions.

Regarding the politics P&R forum : actually some very honest people there.

 

*** bump ***

Anyone else qualified to answer this question, now that it's 2015?

 

For the longest time even though I finally computer back tested, had right stats, developed ongoing Trading Plan, had enough confidence in myself to keep doing it each day. Losing for many years in Futures taught brain well to identify losing trades first, it liked losing trades and I would always go into major anxiety attack when I started to get winning trades, so I think last or more like ongoing problems to overcome was confidence of myself and I am not trading by luck or wicked sting of profitable days, this actually took very long time to overcome. You either become the Roadrunner or the Coyote.

 

This is only the first step to become profitable

 

By losing 15000 dollars,i have learnt 15000 ways not to trade.

 

There were times when even Livermore was off his game, not necessarily because the market wasn't accommodating, but because he was in a funk. He was considered the best in his day, when his head was on right. So if a legendary trader can occasionally doubt himself and find himself out of the zone, then I imagine it can happen to lesser mortals as well.

 

Be receptive to any and all the information you can for a good period of time...this gives the trader brain a "base". Then be receptive to a point in time where you need to cut off the umbilical cord and "go live away from the herd"...listen to no one for a good amount of time...try to create a new analyses or put a major twist on conventional analyses! Be independent, creative, and truly think outside the box! This has been my path...FWIW!

 

It's looking like the last thing was FINALLY being able to enter with short term momo, rather than switching off due to too scared.

It's going up BOOM Long, ohhh it's no longer going up, Boom Exit.

Don't make it any harder!!

 

For me it was risk mgmt - it gave me a lot of confidence and so far has kept me profitable for 13 out of the last 14 years. It was like a Rocky film where in the big fight he is getting pounded by everything his opponent could throw at him and was still on his feet, he realizes he can win the fight because his defense is strong. Same with me when I got hip to risk mgmt.