Do you actually like trading?

[shadowninja]

As stated on another thread, I find it really boring. It's also largely frustrating. Take this morning. I grabbed 40-50 pips on Euro's move. That's great, you say. Well, yes, except I wasn't planning to get up for another 30 minutes but decided I ought to as I was wide awake and needed to call someone so it's only by luck that I wasn't up and at my computer 30 seconds after the move. Bloody thing. As someone suggested, don't sleep. Not very practical.

I've started dabbling with sports trading... now that appears easy in comparison. You know when the games start and finish. If there's a setup, it's gonna happen within the 90 minutes (plus injury time). Shame the financial markets can't be like this.

Ok, ramble over. As you were.

 

[trendie]

Once you're settled in a system, the magic seems to go.

Then you start tweaking to improve.

Then you start to explore whether you can take another system, and see if you can make that work.

Once you're over the heart-pounding, gut-wrenching uncertainties, it all seems an anti-climax.

(still trying to see if grid-trading can be made to work!!)

But then, it is an obsession.

EDIT: I have no choice but to like it. the alternative is to work for a living.

 

[shadowninja]

You've stated pretty much how I feel about it, really. Anti-climax. I am a flesh-and-bones trading bot. And yes, it is an obsession. I'm always helping newbies stay on the straight and narrow and avoiding doing what I did in the past as I just love talking about trading. [where's the geek smiley?]

Oh, I've given up trying other systems as I can never refine them to work the way I like.

 

[meanreversion]

Once you're settled in a system, the magic seems to go.

Then you start tweaking to improve.

Then you start to explore whether you can take another system, and see if you can make that work.

I've been doing some of that myself this week, backtesting a Bollinger band breakout system. The enjoyable part is thinking of the system, then coding it, debugging it to a point where you believe it's working correctly, then tweaking the parameters to see how it acts under various conditions.

The results I got were broadly in line with the Donchian system I use, which didn't really surprise me. The problem with BBands is they require much more maintenance and the chance for error is significantly higher.

They say that if you play golf well, it gets boring. Drive, 7 iron, two putt for a par, onto the next hole.

All I will say is "be careful what you wish for". Let's just hope trading remains "boring" (i.e. profitable) and doesn't become "exciting".

 

[HowardCohodas]

Once you're settled in a system, the magic seems to go.

Then you start tweaking to improve.

Then you start to explore whether you can take another system, and see if you can make that work.

Once you're over the heart-pounding, gut-wrenching uncertainties, it all seems an anti-climax.

(still trying to see if grid-trading can be made to work!!)

But then, it is an obsession.

EDIT: I have no choice but to like it. the alternative is to work for a living.

You must have been watching me the last six months. My personality requires novelty and trading a strategy where the rules are settled and there are few scary moments during the time your in the market can lead to complacency.

The job of a pilot consists of hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.

So I did the only logical thing for me. I began teaching my methods. I'm reengaged. Interacting with students, preparing training materials, writing articles and a book keeps the excitement level high enough to keep away the boredom. And since I maintain a separate auditable account for my strategy, I have an additional incentive to pay close attention to my trades, both for credibility and for cash flow.

Hope this helps in giving you ideas on how to keep up your enthusiasms by thinking outside the box.

Lastly, I couldn't leave out my participation in forums such as this to keep my enthusiasms at fever pitch.

 

[glyder]

I like trading but I try to make it about not trading so much.

 

[Depth Trade]

Yes I like it. I have just been employed by a private individual who is a doctor and am on my second week of trading, up exactly +5%. Woke up late this morning 9am to a position that is +1.5%
Not too bad, I will work from home for a couple hours then head out on my bike or walking to a cafe for exercise, hit on the girls serving coffee. Then come home in the evening to eat dinner and still have enough energy to work out in my garage on my punchin bags for an hour.
Sure beats what I had been doing off and on for the past few years, working for childhood friend repairing the cities infrastructure outside in the pouring rain and freezing.
Will take trading anyday, if you are bored it's because you are a boring person. Or you are not profitable.

 

[shadowninja]

if you are bored it's because you are a boring person. Or you are not profitable.

The first sentence doesn't make sense. Sure, it rhymes. It sounds good but when you think about it, it's stupid. The second could make sense.

 

[Depth Trade]

The first sentence doesn't make sense. Sure, it rhymes. It sounds good but when you think about it, it's stupid. The second could make sense.

(yawn)

 

[meanreversion]

I recall that in the Yellow pages, under "Boring" (as in drilling holes) it used to say "See under Civil Engineers".

Made me chuckle anyway.

 

[Depth Trade]

I recall that in the Yellow pages, under "Boring" (as in drilling holes) it used to say "See under Civil Engineers".

Made me chuckle anyway.

I did a little 'boring' the other night

 

[wackypete2]

... if you are bored it's because you are a boring person. Or you are not profitable.

I disagree with that. Some styles are boring no mater how profitable they may be.
Of course too much excitement isn't good either!

Peter

 

[HowardCohodas]

I disagree with that. Some styles are boring no mater how profitable they may be.
Of course too much excitement isn't good either!

Peter

Unless you are an adrenalin junky.

 

[shadowninja]

(yawn)

Bored, are you?

 

[Rooster34]

Yes, i like trading. No I'm not pofitable yet. I enjoy the self sufficient nature of it. I like the idea of making money from anywhere. I even like staring at charts.
For me its a little like shooting pool. i used to spend hours and hours a day shooting. i got good enough to play in a few local tournaments. I love pool. It was never boring, ever. Ive enjoyed almost every game Ive ever played, even ones I lost. I stopped playing about a year ago because it was interfering with family obligations.
Although I am not profitable yet I feel like trading is an activity where the more effort you put forth, the more you practice, the more you study, and ask, and struggle, the better the end results will be.
The same could be said for martial arts, sculpting, music, parenting, lifting weights, driving.
There will always be another goal to reach, another milestone to aim for, another skill to learn

Yes, I quite enjoy trading. And a side benefit is eventually not having to kowtow to an idiot boss for the rest of my life

 

[coopster]

I'm still on the "Like it"phase. Although i am not profitable and only doing 100 share trades as practice. That's probably why!

I fully expect the novelty to wear off when it becomes somewhat easier to be consistent. The plus side of the "boring" consistency is as Depth Trade says, it gives you a chance of having a lifestyle with more flexibility than a 9-5 job to fill with more interesting stuff. At least i hope so!!

Its the same with any job i think. I think many people would kill to be an automotive designer working for the most famous sports car companies in the world. That to me has lost its appeal after 11 years of it.

 

[meanreversion]

Its the same with any job i think. I think many people would kill to be an automotive designer working for the most famous sports car companies in the world. That to me has lost its appeal after 11 years of it.

Wow, someone with a genuinely interesting job.

I recall reading one trading book where the author had mentored a former jet fighter pilot in his attempts at trading.. this chap described seeing money flowing into his account as the biggest thrill he had ever encountered. I really struggled to believe that, but who knows?? I've never flown a jet fighter, perhaps it's boring?!?!??!

 

[wackypete2]

I've never flown a jet fighter, perhaps it's boring?!?!??!

Wouldn't be boring if I tried flying one. Bring extra underwear though.

Peter

 

[meanreversion]

Won't be a problem, I have a few spare to hand, normally for use around 1.30pm on the first Friday of a month.

 

[spinola]

I don't like trading, I love trading. If you do the things you love, you have already won.