morning Guys, changing the subject..
Just came across this quote from Richard Dennis and thought it might encourage some of "us" in relation to FMT recent performance.
"It is totally counterproductive to get wrapped up in the results.
You have to maintain your perspective. Being emotionally de -
flated would mean lacking confidence in what I am doing. I avoid
that because I have always felt that it is misleading to focus on
short-term results."
I think I am finally starting to REALLY understand what having a plan means. OK, it's easy to think you have a plan but I wonder how many of you have a 'plan of hope'.
To be truly unemotional about one's plan one must be completely honest with oneself and really think about ALL aspects of what might happen along the way. Eg: If my high-risk strategy yields £10,000 in 10 months am I going to take that money or am I going to leave it and hope for £30,000 later? When is later? It needs defining. Further, if my £30,000 becomes £20,000 am I going to take it then? How low will I let it go? It really helps to have a plan for it all. I think it is essential.*
The big elements, I feel, that affect contentment in a plan and lack of emotion are the basics:
Two questions:*
1. Can I afford to lose this money?
2. Am I willing to lose this money?
I think a lot of people who answer yes to the above, really mean no, to at least one of them.*
My own plan says:
1. I am prepared to lose all of my initial capital. My investment is not great, the risk is low and my life will be unchanged if I lose it.*
2. I am looking for some significant growth, as advertised, to occur, over 3-5 years.*
3. Ultimately, I will be happy with 10% growth per year as that is far more than I would have got in a building society etc. I would not have invested this money in a more sophisticated way. However, I am prepared to lose the lot. *
4. It is a 3 to 5 year plan and I am only 3 months in. I use a VPS and it's management does not take up any significant time.
5. I am not intervening in the plan for the first 3 years. Therefore, I do not worry. After 3 years I'll hone the plan for the final two.
I also have plans for much higher risk accounts and they are very different; plans they most definitely are though.
I am new to trading, in fact the desire to learn to trade has been the greatest reward from discovering this forum and it's many, valuable contributors. I have honed my plan since beginning with FMT. Like many, I was completely green at the outset... still am!
My point, to everyone who is struggling to cope psychologically and financially with the recent trading results, is review your plan, make sure you have a REAL plan, not some whimsical, loose, malleable sketch of an outline.... then follow it!
If your plan is good and you are truly comfortable with it, you won't be worrying.*
Happy Sunday!