Karmacat: I'm passionate about my DFW journey to riches

ZTD

Karmacat wrote: »

- been doing the virtual trading - 64 points profit, hurray.

How well is this progressing to real trading?

Gemmzie

Nice to see you back KC

Karmacat

:wave: Hiya! It was great to meet you both and chat, I loved it, and I'm very chuffed you managed to make the time.

The new garden! There's a lot of hard landscaping in my garden, because its so steep - even the patio is on two levels. There are over 20 steps.

Even more, I need to think about how to approach my neighbour about cutting back his leylandii - they're only suppose to be 2 metres high now, as a fence, by law, and I have no idea how to approach this. Its going to be fun doing the garden itself, tho! I'll be doing some tonight after Stargate finishes!

Karmacat

ZTD wrote: »

How well is this progressing to real trading?

Somehow missed out Gemmzie and ZTD. And here's Z with the sixty four thousand dollar question.... drat! No, seriously, thank you.

Well, I got back from holiday last night, so today was my first day back on the computer. And the 64 points, which is a best case scenario, comes from 2 trades:
(1) 3.30pm, necessary position of the stoploss means that the risk reward ratio was only 1:1, but it worked. Minimum net profit of 17 points, or if I'd managed to stay in the trade till an actual signal told me to exit, net profit of 37 points.
(2) 5.15pm, my signal came up. I'd have had to get out after ten minutes, which is fine with me. Exit after it came within a couple of points of the upper Bollinger band. Risk reward ratio about 3:1, given stop loss placing. Net profit 27 points.

So, total net profit either 44 or 64 - since I intend to make trades @ £10 a point, thats £440 or £640, thank you very much Dow Jones!

The psychology of it is what's at issue, of course. Reading a really brilliant book by a proper psychologist, not another of these NLP types, who is making some excellent points, and its made me remember something that happened when I cracked my flying phobia. I remember thinking, I have to stay frightened, because thats how I stay alert, and if I'm alert, the plane won't fall out of the sky. And of course, I've done quite a bit of flying since then (before I got into debt!). Literally, I'm staying frightened (too frightened to move) so that I can stay alert and keep myself safe. Its quite a eureka moment for me, as is tying it to a fear that I've already beaten.

I really, really appreciate you asking - sorry if this reply has been overkill, but actually its been very helpul laying it out like this.

I intend to practise (practise paying attention and being mindful of the unnecessariness of the fear) next week, and start trading in July. How does that sound to you?

ZTD

Karmacat wrote: »

I intend to practise (practise paying attention and being mindful of the unnecessariness of the fear) next week, and start trading in July. How does that sound to you?

Absolutely fine - so long as you're a woman with a plan. :kisses3:

redsquirrel80

What's the book? Sounds interesting.

Karmacat

Thanks Z, hi RS. I have to really focus on calming meditations. I have a good CD by a really well known British bloke called Mark Williams - mindfulness in a non-Buddhist way, tho I am sort of a Buddhist. And I have a couple of hemi-sync tapes (where you hear different things in different ears - even Paul McKenna does those now)..... and I also have brain training glasses, which I bought about 20 years ago, they help you train your brainwaves - a different form of biofeedback machine, basically. Ahem... its *using* this stuff that makes the difference!

Anyway.... can't do anything today much - one of the 12 hour jobs working in London, never mind, I need money coming in in the meantime!

The book really is interesting, its by Brett Steenbarger, called The Psychology of Trading. He's a solution-focussed psychiatrist, who does brief therapy - sometimes just one session, from the sound of it. He takes cases from his ordinary caseload (made suitably anonymous) and compares them to problem traders.

Its particularly apt for me, because two main points he makes are:
- many of the answers to our problems are already occurring (like me with my solution to part of my flying phobia), and
- part of the answer to my trading fears is to use the attitude I have as a therapist, to look at my feelings and step back, and use them as a guide for what my input should be (therapeutic input is often counter-intuitive).

So, things are looking good- they often have, but this is so relevant to the fear that stops me, I really am pretty hopeful. I just need to listen attentively to those meditations each day.

Just seen what time it is! I have to go.

Hope everyone has a good day!



PS - last night, did another long lightspeed survey, and I did over half an hour in the garden clearing, only started at 9pm, so I'm well chuffed I did anything at all.... and placed a m.b, not great odds (0.07 difference!!!) but it will still yield profit. Don't think I can do it today, no time now, but I have been doing the virtual trading - net profit about minus 5, actually, cos of a false breakout. So it goes.

duchy

Gawd and I thought I used to have trouble understanding MBing lingo. You totally lost me KC but good for you sounds like you've got a real handle on it.

redsquirrel80

Hi KC.. the book sounds really interesting, I wonder if he's written anything else (less specific). I have to admit to being a bit sceptical about such things but it's good to hear it's working.. I can never get over the 'step' between reading things and thinking 'yes, that's a good idea' and actually putting it into practise... I think I just need a new brain!

What's the plans for today?

Karmacat

Hi folks!

duchy sorry! Yeah, I've had a handle on the technicals of trading for a while now, its my own fear, completely unrelated to the trading, that I've needed to get a grip on, and, as I say, linking in to a solution I found 10 years or so ago is a big help. I just need to make sure that I make time each day to listen to the mindfulness CD.


redsquirrel, which bit are you sceptical about? Just interested - cos these are all ideas I'm struggling with myself, it helps to get different viewpoints, it really does, especially of people I trust.

I'm not usually one for self help books, if thats what you mean - I think in so many cases, people read them and then go on to the next new book without stopping and putting it into practice, expecting that their lives will change by osmosis, sort of, without them actually doing anything. I have the same struggles as anybody else in actually *doing* this stuff, but I do recognise what I'm doing.

Its funny.... of all the things that could have continued my personal self development, its trying to be a trader. Life is very strange sometimes.


Today: there's a big list in my diary, but on here I'll list the dfw things, I love doing the strike thing to cross them out!
- matched bet.
- bank cheques.
- mindfulness exercises.
- gardening.
- 4 surveys have turned up in my inbox, will do those.