mokodo 

Gary, this is has been dawning on me for a few months now and as a result the challenge appears much more straight forward. Thanks for your journal, I love your perspective.

The secret to being succesful at many things is just the ability to be comfortable in our own skin. Not be be right often, or to win most of the time, or to achieve some definition of perfection, or strive for certainty, but just to have faith in our own decisions. I learn to have faith in mine by trial and error, and am seeing that the majority of errors are not the end of the world. Believeing they are might be though.

I just had some insight into why trading cannot be completely taught. I try to do it. Many traders on this site try to do it. But, it has more to do with our own progression. Once a trader thinks they can teach another something, they have experienced "knowing" in some capacity. That is a very special "spice" in the trader's gumbo, and without that final ingredient, many plans will fail.

The one who learns the most from teaching is possibly the teacher, forced to take a step back, digest, and explain what they believe is their edge.

Developing confidence allows a trader to execute what they believe in. If you believe it, you prove it by allowing the trade room to develop, by taking the entries and exits as you feel you should. And that experience is part of what cannot be taught but must be learned.

GaryD 

The secret to being succesful at many things is just the ability to be comfortable in our own skin. Not be be right often, or to win most of the time, or to achieve some definition of perfection, or strive for certainty, but just to have faith in our own decisions. I learn to have faith in mine by trial and error, and am seeing that the majority of errors are not the end of the world. Believeing they are might be though.

Thought I'd follow up on these comments if I may. Trading has opened a door to understanding myself in way that my past life never could. I was a bit shocked and embarrassed about my faults if I am being honest. I realised I was emotionally immature. The 'keys' to trading all seemed out of my reach. I would just think (and often act) like a spoiled child with no perspective. And of course realising that was a big step forward in itself - and I went about trying to address it.

I've learned I need practical, tactical tricks to help get desired thought and behaviour patterns ingrained. My 'Stone Of Life' is one such tool. (Took this idea from the Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters). This relates to my core beliefs on my whole life, not just to trading.

TolerAnce - there's room in this world for everyone
Big - don't sweat the small stuff, focus on the big pieces
Luck - I'm lucky to be here at all, and luck plays a big a part in things as much as any other factor
ChoicE - I always have a choice to how I feel, think and act
Time - smooths out everything

So I think TABLET and recall these things immediately. It has helped in my life and my trading enormously. I can snap out of negative self-talk (I have a choice about that self-talk after all), I allow luck into my understanding, my stop got pinged by a spike, it happens, it's not necessarily my 'bad' stop placement, a bad day will be forgotten in time, just how 'important' will it seem in a week, a month, a year? All of this is nudging me to just be more grown up and relaxed about life in general. And my trading is improving as a result.

mokodo 

Thought I'd follow up on these comments if I may. Trading has opened a door to understanding myself in way that my past life never could. I was a bit shocked and embarrassed about my faults if I am being honest. I realised I was emotionally immature. The 'keys' to trading all seemed out of my reach. I would just think (and often act) like a spoiled child with no perspective. And of course realising that was a big step forward in itself - and I went about trying to address it. I've learned I need practical, tactical tricks to help get desired thought and behaviour patterns ingrained. My 'Stone Of Life' is one such tool. (Took this idea from the Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters). This relates to my core beliefs on my whole life, not just to trading. TolerAnce - there's room in this world for everyone Big - don't sweat the small stuff, focus on the big pieces Luck - I'm lucky to be here at all, and luck plays a big a part in things as much as any other factor ChoicE - I always have a choice to how I feel, think and act Time - smooths out everything So I think TABLET and recall these things immediately. It has helped in my life and my trading enormously. I can snap out of negative self-talk (I have a choice about that self-talk after all), I allow luck into my understanding, my stop got pinged by a spike, it happens, it's not necessarily my 'bad' stop placement, a bad day will be forgotten in time, just how 'important' will it seem in a week, a month, a year? All of this is nudging me to just be more grown up and relaxed about life in general. And my trading is improving as a result.

" realised I was emotionally immature. The 'keys' to trading all seemed out of my reach. I would just think (and often act) like a spoiled child with no perspective. And of course realising that was a big step forward in itself - and I went about trying to address it."

The whole post was great, but just highlighting this as an example. That direction shows that you are making true progress.

Obviously trading is about chart patterns and indicators and probabilities and sentiment and timing and all that stuff. But that is only half of the puzzle. The remainder deals with self-understanding, and that is where it can really get complicated, require patience and honesty. You are headed in the right direction.

Just got my orders, leave for Austin TX within the next 24 hours. Going to miss EIA this week... Not interested in hauling monitors any more.

Maybe I won't even look?

I closed a trade way too early again today. This seems to be the bad habit of choice lately. I need to spend some time thinking about where that feeling really comes from.

10pm Austin, I would rather study a chart than watch television. The major support zone held again, this time with a minor local double bottom. I did not get to see it happen, so cannot feel the force of the movement, but the area of 89.00-89.60 is now a major point of significance.

A friend sent me a link to some porn as a joke (in response to my turtle video). When I opened his video, another window popped up behind it. I did not see it until I had closed some other things and did not realize there was someone there trying to talk to me. It was a girl named "Claire". This is the entire conversation;


Claire: are you still there?

Claire: answer baby...

Claire: is this working?

Guest: yes

Claire: so what are you looking for?

Guest: The direction of the oil market

Claire: im from Austin, do you live close enough to pop by?

Guest: sure, let's have a cappucino on Sunday

Claire: Ahh, thats a shame. Awsome. I am up for pretty much anything right now

Guest: Well, if you're up for "anything", my recommendation is to watch the area between ##.#0 and #0.00 for WTI. If we break above ##.#0, buy.

Claire: By anything I mean you can stick it anywhere! you want to private message me your email?

Guest: I do not understand why these prices are not showing up. This is serious information. Eighty-nine-forty to ninety for support, and a break above ninety-one twenty, BUY!

Claire: suit yourself. my profile is: https://www.upforit.com/Austin/Claire

Guest: Thanks, you can find me on futures.io (formerly BMT)

Claire: Add me as a friend



Well Claire, if you get here and send me a friend request, consider it done.

And just before I closed the window to get some sleep, I continued our debate on the direction of oil;

Guest: I gave you a red carpet invitation at futures.io (formerly BMT).

Claire: would you fuck a slut like me?

Guest: probably not

Claire: I bet you wouldnt say that if I was going down on you! I just want a real man to tie me up and ...

Guest: set you on the curb?

Claire: back in 5 mins, just add me on UpForIt so we can chat more


Sorry Claire.

Now, that is something to look at....