Long & Wrong

Thoughts about trading (FX and Index Futures)

Th Th Th Th Th

with 13 comments

This is more like therapy for me than interesting content for you.

I find that in the course of the past 4 years I have become a trader, it was inevitable really because learning to trade profitably requires long hours and obsessive dedication.  But I don’t want to be a trader, I want to be someone who earns money from trading.  There is a subtle but important difference between the two.

As this blog is part of thinking about trading, rather than just doing it, then it is time to call it a day. I have toyed with other ideas (Twitter, chart-only blog, etc.) but none solve the underlying problem. I want to sit here for sufficient hours to pay the bills, and enjoy doing that, but then rediscover what I am lucky enough to have the time/energy/money/opportunity to do with the rest of my life. In the last month I have reduced trading to 3 days/week.  Profits are down by less than 40% and happiness is up by more than 40%, I am smart enough to realise that is a good deal.

Trading is a lot like driving a car, an incredibly complex task that is fraught with danger but, once learnt, only seems to require about 10% of brain cells. It’s time to give the other 90% a bit of exercise.

So I will definitely be trading for 3 days/week  but no longer thinking about trading for 7 days/week, it was those thoughts that  kept this blog fed and watered. This may all be a symptom of my mid-life crisis(!) and I will return with something new. For now, and for the foreseeable future though….

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Written by long&wrong

January 27, 2011 at 3:46 pm

Posted in Admin

13 Responses

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  1. Unless you are an addict or optimist, trade only if you have an edge. Trade only where your stops would be (outer ranges) you might be surprised.
    Or, give it to someone who will do it for you while you sip pina coladas.

    There is more than one way to skin a cat (plenty of ways once you start thinking out of the box)

    Sandy

    January 27, 2011 at 4:37 pm

  2. “Profits are down by less than 40% and happiness is up by more than 40%, I am smart enough to realise that is a good deal.”
    :)

    PS You said “shit” in your last post! =O()

    Market Monkey

    January 27, 2011 at 6:12 pm

  3. Hello Long And wrong i have been following you for a longggg time now. I have put up and small web about futures trading. Mostly what i have learnt about through the years. I would like to see if we could exchange links for our webs….I think your blog will be a huge improvement of value for the readers of my web.

    the web is http://www.futures-trading-how-to.com

    Let me know please if you are interested as I am

    Daniel

    Daniel

    January 27, 2011 at 6:33 pm

  4. I tried to comment on the last post which was apparently sparked by a question from one of the many highly intelligent readers of your blog, but didn’t see a link to comment, so…

    I wanted to thank you for taking the time to make that post and share some of your personal experience. I think you actually provided more answer than the question asked as you described coming to the zen-like mindset that “there are no bad days so no need to be able to cope with them.” After a “bad” day like I had today it’s easy to be discouraged, but a quick look at my current Expectancy shows me that today doesn’t really make things that bad – so long as E remains > 0.

    By the way, I may comment on this particular post later – or maybe I won’t.

    Attitude Trader

    January 27, 2011 at 7:50 pm

  5. Enjoy life LW!

    Yes. The blog thing has run it’s course.

    I’ll look you up the next time I’m in jolly Ole’ England!

    DT out.

    DT233

    January 28, 2011 at 2:38 am

  6. Enjoy

    solfest

    January 28, 2011 at 1:42 pm

  7. Get back to work.

    solfest

    July 1, 2011 at 3:00 am

  8. I agree.

    Older folks need to stay active. Otherwise their brains turn to mush.

    daytrader233DT233

    July 16, 2011 at 10:43 pm

    • What is the world coming to? Closing a blog down still isn’t enough to stop the abuse :-)

      And what is worse, when I try and leave retaliatory abuse on DT’s blog I find it is no longer public. Too busy playing golf I guess.

      long&wrong

      July 17, 2011 at 3:11 pm

  9. Fore!!!

    On holiday here in the US (that’s a “vacation” for the normal people in the world). Enjoying the sun and surf. Just finished watching the end of the Open. Darren Clarke win’s yet another major title for Northern Ireland. Another typical Open Championship. Dreary weather with the occasional visit from the sun.

    And yes, the blog is offline until my return. So you’ll have to retaliate here or perhaps in Solfest comments section. He doesn’t use his blog much these days. :-)

    DT233

    July 18, 2011 at 4:29 pm

  10. Btw, whatever happened to the Twitter-based Long and Wrong chart porn you promised us?

    I’m pretty sure that I wasted valuable cyberspace by creating a Twitter account for this sole purpose!

    DT233

    July 19, 2011 at 12:21 pm

  11. Get to work!

    solfest

    August 14, 2011 at 5:33 pm

  12. What a shame I enjoyed reading this… hopefully you will be back some day. I have tried to hook you up on twitter but not sure if you got that going.. anyway, hope your trading is still going well.

    TeaGreedy (@TeaGreedy)

    October 13, 2011 at 3:16 pm


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