Long time reader first time poster

[ajhunter]

Hi Folks --

I've been a member since February and have been trading full time (stocks) for a year and a half . I've found this site to be a great resource -- the technical trading forum has been really helpful... Soultrader's tape reading thread is one I refer to often -- it is rare to find a discussion that focuses just on price and volume rather than on a whole mess of indicators. This site is a supportive and generous community with some highly knowledgeable traders. I like the fact that its a place where people come to learn and improve, not to gloat or insult! Now that I think about it, I've been profitable since around February, so that may be saying something good about what I've learned here!

I want this to be a lifetime career, so I've started slowly, just trading a hundred shares at first and gradually increasing as I've gotten better. One thing that's helped me is having daily goals but not any weekly or longer term goals. I found that with weekly goals, if I was down one day, a weekly goal encouraged bad habits as I would try to "make it up" the next day and wind up breaking my trading rules. With daily goals, the slate is wiped clean in my mind each day. Sometimes I think trading is 100% managing your own psychology.

It looks like a lot of people here trade the futures (and YM in particular), and that's got me intrigued but I know I'm not quite there yet. Fortunately I have a supportive wife who's encouraged me to go at my own pace, and that helps take the pressure off.

As for me, I'm a Canadian, living in the New York State Fingerlake region, and I love the days when I can be done by 12 and out working on my property the rest of the day! Trading is the closest thing I've found to the freedom I had as a grad student!

Now that've I've made my first post, hopefully this will prompt me to communicate more, but thanks Soultrader for running providing such a great resource!

[torero]

Welcome (or not-so welcome since you've been a lurker for sometime now)!

Anyhow, hope you can contribute as well to your success. Yes, it is a great site that filters all the B.S. and get to stuff traders to do... learn and help.

I do see your point about using daily vs. weekly goals. For my part, I have to use weekly because there are days, it's not possible to fight the market that doesn't give you given the strategies used. So I have to either skip, or wait or just pass it up and try again the next day. In futures, there are about 2-3 good profitable setups a day (IMO), so if I can't get those setups right, I move on. Else, I'll beat myself up and lose more. Stocks may be different where you can make it up to end of the day.

[Soultrader]

Welcome ajhunter,

Torero has some good points there. I also think there are 2-3 GOOD setups a day. The rest is blah but scalpable.

We have a great crowd here and very helpful group of traders. It has a very warm atmosphere and we do our best to rid of all the trash talk and bs. A tremendous amount of knowledge here on the boards and I hope you can learn something valuable ajhunter. Once again, welcome aboard.

[TinGull]

Dude, whatever, I make a trazillion dollar every minute in this market trading YM...

haha, just kiddin'. Welcome aboard and I agree, I'm very glad those kind of statements like I just made are no where to be seen on this board. We definitely focus on the educational side of things instead of the stroking of the ego sort of stuff.

Great to hear you're doing well and hope to see some charts and all

[Reaver]

Welcome aboard!