2 months ago I took a break, but more due to a trip to Hongkong and Malaysia.
However, I find that a trip somehow is good for creativity and offers perspective on what one is doing. During the trip I did not have really new insights, however I thought up a new way how to organize data efficiently in excel, whereby better analysis is possible now.
Most of the time trading keeps dominating in your mind, one year ago we went to japan and I was awake at 04.00 am due to the timezone and went making mindmaps of the information on trading I took with me, my girlfriend thought I was
One of my worst enemies are my own false assumptions
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Site Administrator Swing Trader Data Scientist & DevOps
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Speaking from experience -- since I went full-time trading around 7 years ago, I have many times got caught up in the "moment" with whatever project I'm currently working on, and worked tirelessly on it for days, weeks, months at a time without coming up for air.
But over the years, now with the benefit of some wisdom, I would highly recommend against this approach and instead recommend taking frequent breaks, even if only for a couple of days or one week, where you completely set aside your work and don't touch it.
Then after the time elapses, when you return, you'll realize how fresh everything seems and you'll benefit from thinking of new or creative ways to address problems you hadn't considered before because you were too close to the problem.
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I have good ideas in the shower too, but my best work is when I am trying to sleep -- but instead laying awake at night.
In fact, this happens so often I want to buy the new Moto X phone so I can just yell "Hey, Moto!" from across the room without getting out of bed, "take note of <insert brilliant trade idea here>". It's a great little phone that lets you interact with it 100% hands free simply by voice.
This is my personal time philosophy. I've borrowed it from Strategic Coach where I was a client for a while.
The basic premise is this: When we work straight through, we become less and less effective until we are forced to take a break. However if we will work hard, then take pre planned periods of rest, we retain and improve our effectiveness and creativity.
Here is the graphic from the Coach. It's brilliant in its simplicity as most brilliant things are.
This cost me a unreal amount of money to obtain so please use wisely.
I have a few power point slides if anyone is interested in seeing them that speak to this issue in more depth. Either respond here in the thread or send me PM. They were part of my coaching gig I did for a while....you can get it for free if you like!
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, Leonardo da Vinci
Most people chose unhappiness over uncertainty, Tim Ferris
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Honestly, @Big Mike do you have a list of poll ideas waiting to be released every once in a while, or do you just randomly update it whenever you get a new one you think is worthy enough to be posted? Each one is pretty good so I know you have some method to it.
R.I.P. Joseph Bach (Itchymoku), 1987-2018.
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I should add, they are normally inspired by whatever "theme" I am seeing on the forum at any given time. Usually the poll is designed to get people to think about something they maybe hadn't previously considered.
Ironically, I think it's been years of just non-stop charts and trading related activities. I take a day off here and there but nothing longer than a few days consecutively.
I wish I had enough money that I could just pack my bags and purchase a plane ticket and travel N' trade for a year or two but I know it wouldn't really work out the way I'd want it to lol
technical difficulties would arise.
R.I.P. Joseph Bach (Itchymoku), 1987-2018.
Please visit this thread for more information.
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Just travel somewhere by car that is 6 hours away that is a bit of a tourist spot, spend the night in a cheap hotel for a long 3 day weekend, and don't bring your computer or tablet. Enjoy atmosphere, food, local events, people watching, and just clear your head.
I like to find some hole in the wall town with a decent hotel and restaurant and enjoy the weekend. Sleep late, eat good, lounge around, just waste time. No where to be, nothing to do...
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Weeks go by where I don't trade, just monitor swings.
Several years ago though, I had some drawdowns where I took a 2 month break here and there to figure out my issue(s).
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When I came back to my custom platform after the move, about a 5 month hiatus, I ended up completely rewriting several core functions because when I looked at them with a fresh pair of eyes it was obvious how much room there was for improvement that I had just been blinded to before.
So in other words, it does a lot of good to get some space and fresh air.
I respect that - watching and waiting, but not trading if criteria aren't met. That takes a lot of willpower. For me this is something that is the most difficult to do since I'm very impatient and my system works best if I wait. I can make a ton of money in replay since I can replay time faster than normal and speed time up till I find my entry but it means nothing if I can't wait in real life. How do you pass the time while you wait? What hobbies or activities help you occupy your time before or after observing for your setup?
This definitely sounds like something I need to do considering I've outdone the beach spots this summer in the lower parts of Delaware and they're no longer a viable option since the water has gotten colder. 6 hours sounds about the right distance to get to a new place geographically speaking. Maybe I can go to NYC or somewhere near Washington D.C.. I might even just go to Chincoteague for a nature retreat.
Terry this seems interesting and something I'd actually enjoy taking part in surprisingly. I'm getting older (27) and I'm getting over the whole bar / club / concert / sporting event / people-in-general scene. I like spending time with close friends, but not so much groups or crowds. If I'm not seeking a girl / date, then I don't really feel a need to be around people in a social environment with strangers. I'm not a very social person with people I don't know so I might look for a more people-less tourist place if that makes sense.
I was watching documentaries about Iceland while going to sleep because it seems like a potential remote and relaxing yet naturally stimulating place to travel and observe geological abnormalities. I'd like to get away from it all and go to a place far away that people rarely visit that's truly beautiful. A place where I can zone out and be distracted from everyday life while also be completely amazed by things like geysers, lava, or hot springs with cool looking monkeys.
hey man if getting to these ridiculous places helps me get away from the charts it's worth it!
R.I.P. Joseph Bach (Itchymoku), 1987-2018.
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There came a point where I was tired of being burned on forced trades.
So I was forced to not trade if I wanted to make a living out of it.
To pass the time...I train for Crossfit/Olympic/Power lifting competitions.
I train 2 times a day 3-4 days a week and train overall 5 days a week.
I also eat a lot of food. I golf, float the river, hang out at the park,
go to the farmer's market, etc.
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I apologize in advance if my question is a little confusing or complex but please bear with me,
I was curious if you find there is some correlation between exercising and your trading performance? I know it may not be direct, but I was wondering if you think it helps aid an already profitable trader maintain success. I asked Big Mike the same question, and from how I perceived his answer although obvious, he said anything that helps you build your discipline should have some cross-over effect. I notice when I'd start lifting weights, and get used to it, that I'd have increased ability to endure other areas of my life that were previously more difficult before I started to lift.
The power of thought aside, usually when I have an inkling going into asking someone a question I want the answer to be true because I have a degree of hope involved and am trying to get some reassurance that I'm right. But, I know it may not be as simple as, yes or no, and probably depends on "situational" factors that vary from person to person. There's also maybe something that I'm missing entirely that, in asking someone else who is more experienced, will give me insight into things I wouldn't have realized on my own. I always hope, and maybe it would help, if someone would just come out and say definitively YES I should workout and YES it will help my trading. That NO, I shouldn't rely on that aspect alone for progress, but if I exercise, then typically YES it will help. This is similar to how the karate guru/mentor will have his student do something mundane like wax a car and somehow that has a ripple effect down the road to him doing a karate chop significantly more powerful because of the conditioning from something seemingly unrelated like the motion of waxing. I really enjoy watching and reading biographies of successful people because I find these people who do a lot of these seemingly unrelated activities actually help the core reason they're successful.
I hope you get my drift and understand why I crave this type of guidance. With this type of career like trading I learn so much on my own, that sometimes I wish there was someone who could tell me what to do that would help, but I know even that maybe asking too much because the person got to where they are because of self reliance. I get the answer a lot that what may help one person may hurt another, but I just hope that there may be universal things that just help everyone usually regardless like exercising. This is why I ask you, because I know you're profitable and you do exercise quite often.
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Training keeps me focused. It also has some sort of meditative effect because when you're training
hard, you're in the zone and that's the only thing you're thinking about. You're not thinking about trades.
You also have to have patience training. You can't just squat 135lbs and then the next day, you're squatting 405lbs.
It takes a lot of time and effort, just like trading. Technique is so important and it involves extreme patience as well.
So yes, training is beneficial to my trading. It keeps me calm, patient and focused.
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In long weekend usually I take break for full week. Example thanksgiving is coming soon on Thursday, I take a break for entire week. Same for Christmas.
@Itchymoku If you look at the effects of working out from a physiological point of view, it may explain better why it may be beneficial to your trading.
Workouts produce, both, endorphines (endogenous "morphine") and an increase in the levels of serotonin. In combination, these neurotransmitters tend to:
i) increase concentration/focus
ii) increase confidence
iii) increase the ability to execute decisive action
iv) increase endurance
v) increase thinking ability
vi) decrease the effects of negative responses on psyche
These are just the commonly known benefits. Do a little research on these neurotransmitters and it will give you a lot more benefits that may aldo indirectly enhance your trading.
I incorporate my workouts 2.5-3 hours after my morning session (which coincides with the lunch hour of chop/slow trading). When I miss my workout, most times I notice a difference in my PnL and that difference is reflected off my afternoon session.
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Have been trading full time for 9.5 years now, have come up with the following rules for myself that help me best realign...
One mandatory two week off in a row vacation (ie 16 day trip to Mediterranean this summer), and 1 single week trip to the Caribbean/S Florida during winter months.
10-15 sessions are then used for making a good number of 3-4 day (or 5 day during US Holiday) extended weekends.
I'm quite satisfied & comfortable with how my career has unfolded, and am going to make it 3 week in a row mandatory vacation from here on out.
FWIW, my brother in-law is a senior distressed debt trader at a top-5 fund in respective field. He tells me there has been a sea change in many US based hedge fund and a good number of the bulge bracket banks with regards to minimum vacation time that must be taken consecutively. Sales traders are required 2-wk mandatory, and a lot of the high revenue top prop traders at funds are being pushed by HR for 3 weeks in a row. Way too many cases of stress related problems that are not making it to media headlines, and internal reviews have shown this change in mindset may be helping. It is also likely a ploy to ever so slightly help stem the flow of brain power out of finance and into tech. It's my strong opinion three separate one week vacations are not enough to realign and completely forget work. He stated it is still a work in progress for investment banking/M&A side of business, as the stream of deals is far less uniform in occurrence than differential in trading environment when looking at volatility/opportunities in trading on a weekly to 1-month basis.
There is nothing like coming back from a relaxing vacation where one has slept 10hrs a day... you feel like a king when back at the trading terminal.
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