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!
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