Doc, my passion gives me much stress...

[Dogpile]

Doc, I have been obsessively focused on beating the markets for over 10 years now -- both in my financial job and then for the last few years as an individual trader.

On the one hand, I feel being obsessive/passionate is a good thing as it takes tremendous focus and passion to do well at almost anything -- nobody can blame me for not putting all I have into it. On the other hand, this kind of obsessive behavior comes with a bad side effect: severe stress. If I go a few days without making money, I will generally get stressed and start thinking about the mortgage and what would happen if I could not make it over the long-term... and stress over whether I could still get a good job and support my family.

Given this fear and the stress-factor and the fact that a good job came along that is aligned with my resume, I now face a tough decision. Give up trading and take a job that is being offered to me that pays reasonably well and offers a long-term career path and security. Or stay with something that I feel very strongly about -- my passion -- but which is also the source of much of my stress.

thanks in advance for all comments...

[waveslider]

Hey dogpile,

I remember reading this somewhere - I think "Zen in the Markets" :

"Approach trading as a competition between you and yourself. Can you follow your own rules which constitute an edge? That is the competition."

If you are worried about the money you need from trading, this worry will be the biggest obstacle in your success.

If you can't separate mortgage-money from trading, you are either truly under-capitalized, or unconvinced of your ability to follow your own rules.

In either case you are ruled by your fears.

Believe me man - I know where you are coming from. I just bought my first house and have a pregnant wife. Trading is my only profession. I haven't had a losing month in a year. The first winning month of this streak was the first month I got over my fears and "followed my rules".

Try meditation, try positive affirmation, try NLP. Convince yourself of your ability, then start your day out on the right foot - without fear.

"On the other side of terror is illumination" - Robert Anton Wilson

hope it helps - - I'm sure I'm not the only one here who knows what you are going through. You can do it, your passion will make it happen.

[Soultrader]

Dont want to hijack your thread but I will add some inputs of my own. The most important thing for me to decrease my stress level is to go out. I mean work hard play hard. I do this once a week. Other than that, I like to meditate, watch stupid movies that dont require thinking, and work on this site. I happen to love operating this site so much that it actually eliminates mhy stress. I think the key here is to find a hobby or passion in something other than trading that you can relax on. Fishing? Golf? Tennis? Just a few suggestions. I tend to spend approx 12 hours a day focusing on trading and preperation. So when I return home, I like to do other things and completely forget about trading. This helps me freshen up my mind for the following morning.

[TinGull]

The one biggest thing that helped me along (and this was within the past 3 weeks) was reading Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins. Applying those sorts of techniques that he outlines in that book (much to do with NLP) has been the biggest breakthrough I've had not only in trading, but with life in general.

Take a peek through that book. Since I've just started out with trading (almost a year now) I have had many many mental roadblocks to get through, and I wanted to get through them quick. Having a supportive family has helped tons too.

And...dogpile...you rock dude. Your analysis is always top notch and you really seem like you've got your head on straight with trading. I think either way you choose you'll be successful and don't have anything to worry about.

[MrPaul]

	Quote:	Dogpile
	Doc, I have been obsessively focused on beating the markets for over 10 years now -- both in my financial job and then for the last few years as an individual trader. On the one hand, I feel being obsessive/passionate is a good thing as it takes tremendous focus and passion to do well at almost anything -- nobody can blame me for not putting all I have into it. On the other hand, this kind of obsessive behavior comes with a bad side effect: severe stress. If I go a few days without making money, I will generally get stressed and start thinking about the mortgage and what would happen if I could not make it over the long-term... and stress over whether I could still get a good job and support my family. Given this fear and the stress-factor and the fact that a good job came along that is aligned with my resume, I now face a tough decision. Give up trading and take a job that is being offered to me that pays reasonably well and offers a long-term career path and security. Or stay with something that I feel very strongly about -- my passion -- but which is also the source of much of my stress. thanks in advance for all comments...

Take the Job, the markets will always be here.

I really focus on the fact that you say that you get "severe stress".

There is nothing more important than your well being.

I know a few people are have become extremely successful and very wealthy over the course of their careers (trading and otherwise). The ones who had a big stress factor also now have circulatory issues that would frighten most people.

Everything in balance...


That my 2 cents

[Soultrader]

	Quote:	MrPaul
	Take the Job, the markets will always be here. I really focus on the fact that you say that you get "severe stress". There is nothing more important than your well being. I know a few people are have become extremely successful and very wealthy over the course of their careers (trading and otherwise). The ones who had a big stress factor also now have circulatory issues that would frighten most people. Everything in balance... That my 2 cents

I agree. Health before wealth. Stress is probably the biggest cause for alot of sickness.

[namstrader]

Dogpile,

I just got my hands on "The Master Key System" by Charles F. Haanel "the Father of Personal Development" ebook from over at thetacticaltrader.com

Rumor has it that while he was attending Harvard University, Bill Gates discovered and read The Master Key System. It was this book that inspired Bill Gates to drop out of the University and pursue his dream of "a computer on every desktop." And the rest they say is history . . this is a quote from it.

Pursue the the dream with the understanding of the mental laws that strengthens the will and the use of imagination that brings forth the enjoyment of life on its higher planes. All is found from within not outside ourselves.

Just passing on something that I intend to learn from and it may be useful for you and others here. I lost my most recent trading account and I am rebuilding my foundation now, to rid my stress that exists with undercapitalization.

[MrPaul]

	Quote:	namstrader
	Dogpile, I just got my hands on "The Master Key System" by Charles F. Haanel "the Father of Personal Development" ebook from over at thetacticaltrader.com Rumor has it that while he was attending Harvard University, Bill Gates discovered and read The Master Key System. It was this book that inspired Bill Gates to drop out of the University and pursue his dream of "a computer on every desktop." And the rest they say is history . . this is a quote from it. Pursue the the dream with the understanding of the mental laws that strengthens the will and the use of imagination that brings forth the enjoyment of life on its higher planes. All is found from within not outside ourselves. Just passing on something that I intend to learn from and it may be useful for you and others here. I lost my most recent trading account and I am rebuilding my foundation now, to rid my stress that exists with undercapitalization.

I don't mean to et off topic but I read that Napoleon Hill was actually so inspired by Haanel's work that it lead him to write the "Law of Sucess" and all his other exceptional works thereafter.

[brownsfan019]

Here's the problem if he takes the job - he'll always wonder 'what if...'

Which of course can lead to a new form of stresses.

I suggest following your heart. You get one life to live. Do what makes you happy. For me, that means I cannot work for a corporation. Tried it and it destroyed me from the inside.

The safe option is obviously the job. While the markets will always be here, you also can't buy the time back that you lose either.

[torero]

Brown, you're the greatest! Always thinking out of the box, can't go wrong with that!

It's a tough choice. If you have need to trade support your expenses, it's a big order and lots of stress. You have to prove yourself you can do that first and be comfortable with it before taking the plunge. This stress will show up eventually in your trading at crunch time near end of the month. The outside factors will cause undue emotional stress and it may get to you.

You can always continue to study the markets in the meantime. Record the market session and view them after work or on weekends. Using this technique and paper trade it. The other option is you can trade the first hour before heading off to work.

Either way, good luck on a tough decision.