Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Evolution of a (Day)Trader

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9 April 2010
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I got this from another trading forum, I thought I share it with you.
This, imo, is a very accurate picture of a trader's evolution.

"Evolution of a Trader"

Author - Unknown

1. We accumulate information - buying books, going to seminars and
researching.

2. We begin to trade with our 'new' knowledge.

3. We consistently 'donate' and then realize we may need more
knowledge or information.

4. We accumulate more information.

5. We switch the markets we are currently following.

6. We go back into the market and trade with our 'updated'
knowledge.

7. We get 'beat up' again and begin to lose some of our confidence.
Fear starts setting in.

8. We start to listen to 'outside news' and to other traders.

9. We go back into the market and continue to 'donate'.

10. We switch markets again.

11. We search for more information.

12. We go back into the market and start to see a little progress.

13. We get 'over-confident' and the market humbles us.

14. We start to understand that trading successfully is going to
take more time and more knowledge than we anticipated.

MOST PEOPLE WILL GIVE UP AT THIS POINT, AS THEY REALISE WORK IS
INVOLVED.

15. We get serious and start concentrating on learning a 'real'
methodology.

16. We trade our methodology with some success, but realize that
something is missing.

17. We begin to understand the need for having rules to apply our
methodology.

18. We take a sabbatical from trading to develop and research our
trading rules.

19. We start trading again, this time with rules and find some
success, but over all we still hesitate when it comes time to
execute.

20. We add, subtract and modify rules as we see a need to be more
proficient with our rules.

21. We feel we are very close to crossing that threshold of
successful trading.

22. We start to take responsibility for our trading results as we
understand that our success is in us, not the methodology.

23. We continue to trade and become more proficient with our
methodology and our rules.

24. As we trade we still have a tendency to violate our rules and
our results are still erratic.

25. We know we are close.

26. We go back and research our rules.

27. We build the confidence in our rules and go back into the
market and trade.

28. Our trading results are getting better, but we are still
hesitating in executing our rules.

29. We now see the importance of following our rules as we see the
results of our trades when we don't follow the rules.

30. We begin to see that our lack of success is within us (a lack
of discipline in following the rules because of some kind of fear)
and we begin to work on knowing ourselves better.

31. We continue to trade and the market teaches us more and more
about ourselves.

32. We master our methodology and our trading rules.

33. We begin to consistently make money.

34. We get a little over-confident and the market humbles us.

35. We continue to learn our lessons.

36. We stop thinking and allow our rules to trade for us (trading
becomes boring, but successful) and our trading account continues
to grow as we increase our contract size.

37. We are making more money than we ever dreamed possible.

38. We go on with our lives and accomplish many of the goals we had
always dreamed of.
 
seems fair enough, anyone know of any books that I can read to help me skip steps 3-36.

Please refer to step 1) :) though don't feel too guilty, I'm still at step 4).
speechless-smiley-016.gif
 
I am up to no.6 at this stage. Successful trades since November last year encouraged me to quit my job to pursue day trading in March this year. Saw fantastic returns then lost half of my entire earnings in one ill-fated trade a few weeks ago. Now back with new knowledge and rules for an assault on mining stock - bought the day the proposed tax drove prices down. Thank god today turned out OK for mining. Last night the stock market haunted my thoughts and dreams - a first. I even checked the US market progress in the dead of night. I need this to work - must eat.:screwy:
 
Finished step 7 today and am now in step 8. :eek:

I wonder how the employment market is now?
 
Steps 13 and 34 seem to pop up every time I think I can see some direction in the market.
 
Found it interesting reading the steps, perhaps more responses if did not mention (Day), as believe it is mostly applicable to all traders.

Suffering a bad year, perhaps then followed by another bad year , and then even perhaps another ... is something that a lot of successful fund managers or traders have had to cope with to then see annualized nice returns kick back in (hence why I mention successful) ... guys that can weather that ... wow ... without wanting to be sexist ... steel ones.

Knowing when a system is not broke or just being stubborn (my post is not interested in fools though) as opposed to giving up ... well, that is a different topic, I guess only a few would be warranted or listened to when giving an opinion on that. I guess you want a system that you have proven to yourself is robust. Not easy getting to that stage and also living it ... but some do.
 
Completed step 9 yesterday and re-entered the market. Today looks promising.

These are the tools that I now understand and implement - all of which was ignored at my first attempts at being a day trader.

1. Diversify - I invested in one organisation in the past. Now I am in 4 different stocks.

2. Stop - loss: I shall implement a 2-3 percent stop loss.

4. Charting tools - averages, stochaistics, bolingers bands, candles, MACD etc etc - WOW these are handy - never knew about them before - If I made money without these tools than surely with these tools I'll be rich in no time!!!

fingers crossed.:cool:
 
Completed step 9 yesterday and re-entered the market. Today looks promising.

These are the tools that I now understand and implement - all of which was ignored at my first attempts at being a day trader.

1. Diversify - I invested in one organisation in the past. Now I am in 4 different stocks.

2. Stop - loss: I shall implement a 2-3 percent stop loss.

4. Charting tools - averages, stochaistics, bolingers bands, candles, MACD etc etc - WOW these are handy - never knew about them before - If I made money without these tools than surely with these tools I'll be rich in no time!!!

fingers crossed.:cool:

After reading that post I'd say that you were still at step 2.
 
Yeah, I think I started at step -5...but that wasn't on the list.

I am simming....with real money....:eek:
 
Yeah, I think I started at step -5...but that wasn't on the list.

I am simming....with real money....:eek:

Simming - simulation trading(paper trading), call it what you want, you aren't doing if you have money on the line:banghead:

If you want to make some real progress, why don't you start a new thread and discuss some of your trades? You might get some decent feedback on what your doing and learn a few things:2twocents
 
I got this from another trading forum, I thought I share it with you.
This, imo, is a very accurate picture of a trader's evolution.

"Evolution of a Trader"

Author - Unknown

1. We accumulate information - buying books, going to seminars and
researching.

2. We begin to trade with our 'new' knowledge.

3. We consistently 'donate' and then realize we may need more
knowledge or information.

4. We accumulate more information.

5. We switch the markets we are currently following.

6. We go back into the market and trade with our 'updated'
knowledge.

7. We get 'beat up' again and begin to lose some of our confidence.
Fear starts setting in.

8. We start to listen to 'outside news' and to other traders.

9. We go back into the market and continue to 'donate'.

10. We switch markets again.

11. We search for more information.

12. We go back into the market and start to see a little progress.

13. We get 'over-confident' and the market humbles us.

14. We start to understand that trading successfully is going to
take more time and more knowledge than we anticipated.

MOST PEOPLE WILL GIVE UP AT THIS POINT, AS THEY REALISE WORK IS
INVOLVED.

15. We get serious and start concentrating on learning a 'real'
methodology.

16. We trade our methodology with some success, but realize that
something is missing.

17. We begin to understand the need for having rules to apply our
methodology.

18. We take a sabbatical from trading to develop and research our
trading rules.

19. We start trading again, this time with rules and find some
success, but over all we still hesitate when it comes time to
execute.

20. We add, subtract and modify rules as we see a need to be more
proficient with our rules.

21. We feel we are very close to crossing that threshold of
successful trading.

22. We start to take responsibility for our trading results as we
understand that our success is in us, not the methodology.

23. We continue to trade and become more proficient with our
methodology and our rules.

24. As we trade we still have a tendency to violate our rules and
our results are still erratic.

25. We know we are close.

26. We go back and research our rules.

27. We build the confidence in our rules and go back into the
market and trade.

28. Our trading results are getting better, but we are still
hesitating in executing our rules.

29. We now see the importance of following our rules as we see the
results of our trades when we don't follow the rules.

30. We begin to see that our lack of success is within us (a lack
of discipline in following the rules because of some kind of fear)
and we begin to work on knowing ourselves better.

31. We continue to trade and the market teaches us more and more
about ourselves.

32. We master our methodology and our trading rules.

33. We begin to consistently make money.

34. We get a little over-confident and the market humbles us.

35. We continue to learn our lessons.

36. We stop thinking and allow our rules to trade for us (trading
becomes boring, but successful) and our trading account continues
to grow as we increase our contract size.

37. We are making more money than we ever dreamed possible.

38. We go on with our lives and accomplish many of the goals we had
always dreamed of.

Nice one baby_swallow,
As for the author..........it wasn't me.
I did type this out word for word six years ago on a forum. ( tech/a was there )
It was emailed to us on: 26th Jan 2004 by a member who does post here at ASF.
 
Yes I remember that.
I think we had just attended the launching of the ark.

Frankly I think Day trading the easiest to master.

It doesnt need 38 steps either.

(1) Make more than you lose.
(2) Choose an instrument you can trade both ways Long and Short.
(3) Chase volitility.
 
Yes I remember that.
I think we had just attended the launching of the ark.

Frankly I think Day trading the easiest to master.

It doesnt need 38 steps either.

(1) Make more than you lose.
(2) Choose an instrument you can trade both ways Long and Short.
(3) Chase volitility.

Great tip. I know I must exploit short trading once regular trading is deemed successful.

I sold off my shares yesterday!!! and today is down. Profit of $500 is very poor, and is a poor wage, but I was very conservative. And I stuffed up one order by punching in purchase 1300 units instead of 13000 - else this week would have been $1000. ($30,000 is the available capital)

The problem is diversification - it is reducing my maximum gains. Must reduce diversification in a bull market. Those charting tools are fantastic but I think price is still the most important indicator. Stop-loss was the most important lesson I have learned so far.

I consider myself a swing trader - some shares today look promising but I think I will wait till Monday because I hate having shares in the market over the weekend (no control for two days and who knows what can happen!).
 
Yes I remember that.
I think we had just attended the launching of the ark. Yes, a long time ago
Frankly I think Day trading the easiest to master. agreed
We have been (Day) 'Trading the SPI' for over 14 years now.
 
We have been (Day) 'Trading the SPI' for over 14 years now.
I just located our old trading statements, its actually well over 15 years.
Our first trades were with: Perth Commodities and Futures Brokers Pty Ltd
Forgot about these trades, way back in 1995 :)

With regard to the Evolution of a (Day) Trader list, we keep going back to stage 1.

1. We accumulate information - buying books, going to seminars and
researching.......... (also logging onto trading forums)
 
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