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Step One:
Unconscious
Incompetence.
This is the
first step
you take when
starting to
look into
trading. you
know that
its a good
way of making
money because
you've heard
so many things
about it and
heard of so
many millionaires.
Unfortunately,
just like
when you first
desire to
drive a car
you think
it will be
easy - after
all, how hard
can it be??
- price either
moves up or
down - what's
the big secret
to that then
- lets get
cracking!
Unfortunately,
just as when
you first
take your
place in front
of a steering
wheel you
find very
quickly that
you haven't
got the first
clue about
what you're
trying to
do. you take
lots of trades
and lots of
risks. when
you enter
a trade it
turns against
you so you
reverse and
it turns again
.. and again,
and again.
You try to
turn around
your losses
by doubling
up every time
you trade
- sometimes
you'll get
away with
it but more
often than
not you will
come away
scathed and
bruised Well
this is stage
one - you
are totally
oblivious
to your incompetence
at trading.Stage
one can last
for a week
or two of
trading but
the market
is usually
swift and
you move onto
stage two.
Stage Two
- Conscious
Incompetence
Stage two
is where you
realize that
there is more
work involved
in this and
that you might
actually have
to work a
few things
out. You consciously
realize that
you are an
incompetent
trader - you
don't have
the skills
or the insight
to turn a
regular profit.
During this
phase you
will buy systems
and e-books
galore, read
websites based
everywhere
from Russia
to the Ukraine.
and begin
your search
for the holy
grail.
During this
time you will
be a system
whore - you
will flick
from method
to method
day by day
and week by
week never
sticking with
one long enough
to actually
see if it
does work.
every time
you came upon
a new indicator
you'll be
ecstatic that
this is the
one that will
make all the
difference.
You will test
out automated
systems on
Meta-trader,
you'll play
with moving
averages,
Fibonacci
lines, support
& resistance,
Pivots, Fractals,
Divergence,
DMI, ADX,
and a hundred
other things
all in the
vein hope
that your
'magic system'
starts today.
you'll be
a top and
bottom picker,
trying to
find the exact
point of reversal
with your
indicators
and you'll
find yourself
chasing losing
trades and
even adding
to them cos
you are so
sure you are
right.
You'll go
into the live
chat room
and see other
traders making
pips and you
want to know
why it's not
you - you'll
ask a million
questions,
some of which
are so dumb
that looking
back you feel
a bit silly.
You'll then
reach the
point where
you think
all the ones
who are calling
pips after
pips are liars
- they cant
be making
that amount
cos you've
studied and
you don't
make that,
you know as
much as they
do and they
must be lying.
but they're
in there day
after day
and their
account just
grows whilst
yours falls.
You will be
like a teenager
- the traders
that make
money will
freely give
you advice
but you're
stubborn and
think that
you know best
- you take
no notice
and over leverage
your account
even though
everyone says
you are mad
to - but you
know better.
You'll consider
following
the calls
that others
make but even
then it wont
work so you
try paying
for signals
from someone
else - they
don't work
for you either.
This phase
can last ages
and ages -
in fact in
reality it
can last well
over a year
- My own period
lasted about
18 months.
Eventually
you do begin
to come out
of this phase.
You've probably
committed
more time
and money
than you ever
thought you
would, lost
2 or 3 loaded
accounts and
all but given
up maybe 3
or 4 times.
Then comes
stage 3 Stage
3 -
The Eureka
Moment Towards
the end of
stage two
you begin
to realize
that it's
not the system
that is making
the difference.
You realize
that its actually
possible to
make money
with a simple
moving average
and nothing
else IF you
can get your
head and money
management
right You
start to read
books on the
psychology
of trading
and identify
with the characters
portrayed
in those books.
Finally comes
the eureka
moment.
The eureka
moment causes
a new connection
to be made
in your brain.
You suddenly
realize that
neither you,
nor anyone
else can accurately
predict what
the market
will do in
the next ten
seconds, never
mind the next
20 mins. You
start to work
just one system
that you mould
to your own
way of trading,
you're starting
to get happy
and you define
your risk
threshold.
You start
to take every
trade that
your 'edge'
shows has
a good probability
of winning
with.
When the trade
turns bad
you don't
get angry
or even because
you know in
your head
that as you
couldn't possibly
predict it
it isn't your
fault - as
soon as you
realize that
the trade
is bad you
close it .
The next trade
will have
higher odds
of success
cos you know
your simple
system works.
You have realized
in an instant
that the trading
game is about
one thing
- consistency
of your 'edge'
and your discipline
to take all
the trades
no matter
what. You
learn about
proper money
management
and leverage
- risk of
account etc
etc - and
this time
it actually
soaks in and
you think
back to those
who advised
the same thing
a year ago
with a smile
You weren't
ready then,
but you are
now. The eureka
moment came
the moment
that you truly
accepted that
you cannot
predict the
market.
Then comes
stage four
Stage 4 -
Conscious
Competence
Ok, now you
are making
trades whenever
your system
tells you
to. You take
losses just
as easily
as you take
wins You now
let your winners
run to their
conclusion
fully accepting
the risk and
knowing that
your system
makes more
money than
it loses and
when you're
on a loser
you close
it swiftly
with little
pain to your
account
You are now
at a point
where you
break even
most of the
time - day
in day out,
you will have
weeks where
you make 100
pips a weeks
where you
lose 100 pips
- generally
you are breaking
even and not
losing money.
You are now
conscious
of the fact
that you are
making calls
that are generally
good and you
are getting
respect from
other traders
as you chat
the day away.
You still
have to work
at it and
think about
your trades
but as this
continues
you begin
to make more
money than
you lose consistently.
You'll start
the day on
a 20 pip win,
take a 35
pip loss and
have no feelings
that you've
given those
pips back
because you
know that
it will come
back again.
You will now
begin to make
consistent
pips week
in and week
out 25 pips
one week,
50 the next
and so on.
This lasts
about 6 months
Then comes
Stage Five
Stage Five
- Unconscious
Competence
Now were cooking
- just like
driving a
car, every
day you get
in your seat
and trade
- you do everything
now on an
unconscious
level.
You are running
on autopilot.
You start
to pick the
really big
trades and
getting 100
pips in a
day is becoming
quite normal
to you. This
is trading
utopia - you
have mastered
your emotions
and you are
now a trader
with a rapidly
growing account.
You're a star
in the trading
chat room
and people
listen to
what you say.
you recognize
yourself in
their questions
from about
two years
ago.
You pass on
your advice
but you know
most of it
is futile
cos they're
teenagers
- some of
them will
get to where
you are -
some will
do it fast
and others
will be slower
- literally
dozens and
dozens will
never get
past stage
two but a
few will.
Trading is
no longer
exciting -
in fact it's
probably boring
you to bits
- like everything
in life when
you get good
at it or do
it for your
job - it gets
boring - you're
doing your
job and that's
that.
You can now
say with your
head held
high "I'm
a currency
trader"
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