The MASTER TRADER…
…is rational. He does not trade for egotistical reasons.
…is skilled in self-mastery thus able to deal with market reality.
…is able to see through the noise in the markets and find low-risk, high reward trade opportunities.
…is hard working and has the discipline to follow through with well thought out plans.
…is committed to his methodology and able to cut losses when called upon to do so.
…is humbled by his need to rely on the support of others.
…is adaptable to market changes.
…is up to the challenge of the trading game. Enjoys profits and endures losses.
…is able to handle both success and failure without self-destructing.
Archives of “discipline” tag
rssLife Wisdom – Jim Rohn
Success is both a journey and a destination.
It’s the steady, measured progress toward a goal and the achievement of a goal.
Success is both an accomplishment and a wisdom that comes to those who understand the potential power of life.
It’s an awarenesss of value and the cultivation of worthwhile values through discipline. (more…)
To become a profitable trader, you must
- 1. Manage Risk: Learn to trade a manageable portion of you portfolio .Always establish a risk/reward ratio before making a trade. Without the ratio, how do you know your risk?
- 2. Understand Position Sizing: All traders must learn to know “how much” to trade on each position. Do not overtrade or you will runt he risk of ruin. Position sizing is rule number one of managing risk.
- 3. Cut Losses: Do not allow losses to run wild. You must learn to cut losses and understand that losses are a part of the game, a large part of the game. Check you ego of winning at the door. We are here to make money, not go undefeated. Play sports if you want to keep score with a record rather than your bankroll.
- 4. Learn when to Sell: You must learn when to sell. Selling is more important than buying as it ties directly to risk management. Use stops if you haven’t yet developed the discipline to get out at your predetermined stop or profit goal.
- 5. Average up in Price: I will never hesitate to add shares in a stock that is moving higher but I always avoid averaging down. Remember, cut losses and never throw good money after bad because we know that’s a quick way to the poorhouse.
- 6. Have Patience: It takes years to master trading as an advanced skill; even then, you are never done learning or adapting.
My 10 Favorite Nicolas Darvas Quotes
My favorite Nicolas Darvas quotes from the book on the subject of:
Discipline:
“I knew now that I had to keep rigidly to the system I had carved out for myself.”
Risk/Reward:
“I was successful in taking larger profits than losses in proportion to the amounts invested.”
Exiting profitable trades:
“I decided to let my stop-loss decide.”(Speaking on when to exit an up trending stock)
Bear Markets
“I also learned to stay out of bear markets unless my individual stocks remain in their boxes or advance.”
Technical Analysis versus Predictions
“I believe in analysis and not forecasting.”
Trading Psychology
“I became over-confident, and that is the most dangerous state of mind anyone can develop in the stock market.”
Risk Management
“I decided never again to risk more money than I could afford to lose without ruining myself.”
Fundamental Analysis
“All a company report and balance sheet can tell you is the past and the present. They cannot tell future.”
Trend Following
“I made up my mind to buy high and sell higher.”
The Market tells its own story best
I accepted everything for what it was-not what I wanted it to be.”
Trading Discipline
Emotions are probably the biggest obstacle any trader has to overcome. Many traders become losers because they can’t follow a plan. They see a couple of losses, get excited, abandoned the plan and start to take wild shots at the market.
Traders who develop a sound set of trading rules that match their financial situation with their objectives, and then stick with those rules, increase their chances of becoming big winners. Trading discipline can be more important than your trading system.
Discipline means you must become mechanical in making trades when certain price actions occur. You must shut off your emotions, and not accept one trading signal over another. Disciplined traders let profits run and keep losses short by following rigid guidelines. (more…)
What is the Purpose of Trading?
It seems clear, doesn’t it? The purpose of trading is to make money. The trade is planned, entered, and exited with the goal of increasing the size of one’s trading account. What other purpose would there be?
The dictionary says this about purpose:
“something set up as an object or end to be attained : intention b: resolution, determination”
What about:
The purpose of trading is to not lose money.
The purpose of trading is to practice discipline.
The purpose of trading is to use my talents.
The purpose of trading is to grow.
Or how about:
The purpose of trading is to express my true nature. I was meant to be a trader.
Maybe the purpose of trading is simply to trade. Because that is what you have been called to do, or what you are meant to do, or it’s the highest expression of your nature as a producer rather than a consumer. When you trade successfully, you are disciplined, you are growing, you are using and developing your talents, you are making money, and you are creating wealth from scratch. But most of all, you are trading because it’s the right thing to do for you.
7 Things for Traders
The definition of man·age:
- To direct or control the use of; handle.
- To exert control over.
- To make submissive to one’s authority, discipline, or persuasion.
- To direct the affairs or interests of.
- To succeed in accomplishing or achieving, especially with difficulty; contrive or arrange.
1. Traders must be great risk managers.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is how good are you at risk control.” -Paul Tudor Jones
2. Traders must manage their own stress.
Trade position sizes that keep your stress level manageable, if you can’t talk calmly to someone while trading you are trading too big.
3. Traders have to be able to manger their emotions, we have to trade our plan not our greed or fear
“There is nothing more important than your emotional balance.” – Jesse Livermore (more…)
TIMING ENTRIES AND EXITS
1. Forget the news, remember the chart. No one is smart enough to know how news will affect price in every case. The chart already knows the news is coming.
2. Execute positions based on numbers, time, and volume, not emotions. This discipline forces the trader to distance himself from reckless gambling behavior.
3. Remember that participants in the markets echo similar patterns over and over again based on the infallible rules of human behavior allowing the trader to take advantage of potentially profitable trades while minimizing losses.
Discipline
Generally, I can’t see more than a year ahead because things change so rapidly it’s very difficult to have a 5-to 10-year view. I have a rolling one-year view of the world and I impose discipline on myself by
keeping a trading diary. Every morning, I go through the same process: If I have any positions on, I ask why do I have the positions? What has changed?
I wish I could say I follow my own rules 100%. It seems one is constantly relearning the same trading lessons. The market is always there to keep you in check and is a totally objective judge of your
performance. The P/L at the end of the day is yours with no one else to blame.
One of the most difficult things about trading is not to trade. That’s probably one of the most common mistakes that people starting out in this business make. Overtrading is as bad as running a losing positions for too long.
My Goal
Technical analysis is often misunderstood as being the holy grail to making profits. What is often overlooked is its ability to warn you of impending price moves and its ability to help avoid huge losses. Applying technical analysis and using stop losses are the only way to protect your financial and mental capital. If you want to play the markets you need to stay in the game. My goal as a trader is still the same:
- To continue to learn about the markets and price movements
- To learn from my mistakes in order to avoid repeating them
- To continually increase discipline
- To be emotionally detached.