Between November and April, the first and last thing I thought about each day was trading; I spent every extra moment and my surplus energy on learning and observing the markets.
On the last day of April, I posted my “Trading Plan” – a strategy I developed after a month of paper trading. I was finally confident I had a clear set of ideas and a strong trading approach to put it into action (still feel so). I went into May feeling a lot of momentum, though my wife was laid off just as I was to return to trading in my prop account with real money.
In early May, I got in a couple days of trading, but then I had trouble getting trapped in a position when my internet went down so I decided I needed to have a back-up connection (I do now). At the same time, I decided to move out of my home office and get a new work space given the kids were around the house now during the day. So I put things on hold to have a new computer built, to relocate, and waiting for the cable to be installed.
On about May 13th, I posted about how the time away was giving me some nice perspective.
Last Wednesday, I finally had everything set up to trade along with some time in the morning to do so, and I got a couple days in paper trading.
NOW, a month after posting my newly minted trading plan and ready to take on the world, and now with better tools (faster computer, back up internet) and environment (completely interruption free and quiet trading desk) – I am having trouble mustering up the interest and energy to trade.
I bought Dr. Brett’s new book on self-coaching about a month ago and have not cracked it. I barely know what the market does during the day unless I overhear updates on the mainstream media. I’m just scanning the dozens of blogs I used to read and usually just “Mark Them As Read” in Google Reader. I’m not backcharting at all looking at how set-ups unfolded on days I’m haven’t been able to trade. I barely am making comments in the blogosphere.
What happened?
1) I got out of my trading routines, and I am in particular more than most people, a creature of habit to both good and bad ends.
2) The initial honeymoon of trading as new and exciting is OVER – the hard work is yet to come.
3) My fitness and life balance stuff (including my weekend 5K runs) are now off the tracks and I’m teetering on ending up back where I started.
4) I became more cautious with my real life work given our changed household financial situation, and I started to prioritize guaranteed revenue-generating tasks (and caring more about the quality of them).
5) I started teaching a new class this semester and really am getting into it.
6) A confluence of DEADLINES all at once that are not abating anytime soon.
In any case, I’m still VERY interested in developing my skills to be a successful everyday, part-time day trader. I should be trading in my prop account soon. I was hoping for tomorrow, June 1st. It’s a Monday and the first of the month, but I have three major projects due by Wednesday noon and a class to teach on Tuesday night…
So, instead of making any projections about when I will be back, and timelines on how long I’m going to paper trade to get into the groove, I’m going to just focus on getting my stuff back all lined up (now its a mental challenge and juggling my work life responsibilities) and not posting about my internal gymnastics.
No more blogging about how I’m “NOT” trading…
I will be back as soon as I have some real money profits and losses to report. I think it will be a matter of days or week(s) at most.
