Trading sucks - big time - doesn't it?

Lets be honest!

Whether or not you have a holy grail strategy that maybe delivers 70% winners.
Whether or not you are looking at an M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1 etc. chart or a multi-timeframe combination of the all or some of these timeframes.
Or, perhaps you use a custom timeframe such as the custom 231 tick chart, yes the 231 tick chart, not to be mistaken for the 232 tick chart as this would make all the difference wouldn't it! -

As an activity, trading sucks - big time!

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab
Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout
Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Need I say more???

Do you agree?

JTrader said:

Lets be honest!

Whether or not you have a holy grail strategy that maybe delivers 70% winners, whether or not you are looking at an M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1 etc. chart or a multi-timeframe combination of the all these timeframes -

as an activity, trading sucks - big time!

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab
Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout
Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Need I say more???

Do you agree?

Click to expand...

Boring and unimpressive - My nieces constantly tell me I have an extremely boring job and I should come and play!

It is boring though... boring, predictable.

Look on the flip side though... You could have a 'real' job!

Only 1 hour for lunch, can't smoke, get a coffee, have a bite to eat, watch TV, listen to music full blast, chat to friends on IM or via facebook, look freely at porn, start when you want, finish when you want...........

Plus of course, find a job that pays this much for doing so little (apart from government!)

I think it's a bloody good job actually, but then I'm a lazy *******.

Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extended periods of time

Click to expand...

This is not necessary and only applies if you choose to do so.


Paul

sweepylongbananafiend said:

Boring and unimpressive - My nieces constantly tell me I have an extremely boring job and I should come and play!

It is boring though... boring, predictable.

Look on the flip side though... You could have a 'real' job!

Only 1 hour for lunch, can't smoke, get a coffee, have a bite to eat, watch TV, listen to music full blast, chat to friends on IM or via facebook, look freely at porn, start when you want, finish when you want...........

Plus of course, find a job that pays this much for doing so little (apart from government!)

Click to expand...

Family are probably the hardest people to impress (not that i want to).

JTrader said:

Lets be honest!

Whether or not you have a holy grail strategy that maybe delivers 70% winners.
Whether or not you are looking at an M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1 etc. chart or a multi-timeframe combination of the all or some of these timeframes.
Or, perhaps you use a custom timeframe such as the custom 231 tick chart, yes the 231 tick chart, not to be mistaken for the 232 tick chart as this would make all the difference wouldn't it! -

As an activity, trading sucks - big time!

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab
Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout
Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Need I say more???

Do you agree?

Click to expand...

Yeah, but it's addictive. When I go on holiday I don't trade or have any open positions but I still sneak a look at what the markets are doing. Sad really.

On the days when its exciting I wish it was boring.

Boring is good. I'm quite happy with boring but quietly satisfying (it's taken a while to reach that point).

JTrader said:

Lets be honest!

Whether or not you have a holy grail strategy that maybe delivers 70% winners.
Whether or not you are looking at an M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1 etc. chart or a multi-timeframe combination of the all or some of these timeframes.
Or, perhaps you use a custom timeframe such as the custom 231 tick chart, yes the 231 tick chart, not to be mistaken for the 232 tick chart as this would make all the difference wouldn't it! -

As an activity, trading sucks - big time!

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab
Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout
Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Need I say more???

Do you agree?

Click to expand...

Have to disagree with you JTrader. I've been lucky enough to have had jobs ranging from the very exciting to the dull & boring. I've found that trading encompasses the complete range - so you can get out of it just what you want.

But the best bit is that you are totally in control - choose your own hours, your own working style, your own income. Yeah, it doesn't come easy but what job that has such rewards ever did?

You can therefore choose your social life and other interests - something you can never do properly when someone else owns you.

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab

Click to expand...

Why? - no need to spend all day in front of a screen - that's what PROs do (poor rich sods!). Use EOD and trend trading and just hop in & out as it suits you.

Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout

Click to expand...

Get down the gym - though that's not my style. Nothing to stop you going for run/walk/bike-ride. I'm not a sport fan so have to really force myself to get off my ar*e but that's me & nowt to do with trading.

Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Click to expand...

Get a decent screen, get a decent trading method. Examine yourself mentally & find what's wrong. Then cure it. (I actually suspect you're just entering that stage and are now on the road to getting sorted).


All the above may be tosh but it works for me!

PS - 2nd thoughts: perhaps your experience is symptomatic of forex and indices trading (something I don't do) where presumably you do need to watch the screen like a hawk. Never forget: if you don't change things they'll probably stay as they are - as stated by Sir Isaac a long time ago!

JTrader said:

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab
Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout
Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Click to expand...

100% with you on the Socially except in so far as family time goes - work did generate drink times that are harder to do now.

Disagree Physically - I never used to get to the gym or do the walking I do now ... and if you're worried then just trade standing up which will use 60 cals extra per hour and stops you absorbing fat from those salted cashews.

Half and half mentally - I've been making an effort to recognize that a trade can't take place in the next 10 minutes and take a break to read or do a crossword. Even my Sudoku's are getting better.

I'd rather be trading than just about anything else - I could even solve the social side if I just made more of an effort

JTrader said:

Lets be honest!

Whether or not you have a holy grail strategy that maybe delivers 70% winners.
Whether or not you are looking at an M15, M30, H1, H4, D1, W1 etc. chart or a multi-timeframe combination of the all or some of these timeframes.
Or, perhaps you use a custom timeframe such as the custom 231 tick chart, yes the 231 tick chart, not to be mistaken for the 232 tick chart as this would make all the difference wouldn't it! -

As an activity, trading sucks - big time!

Trading sucks as follows -
Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab
Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout
Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Need I say more???

Do you agree?

Click to expand...

Sounds like the kind of questions somebody thinking of quitting and seeking confirmation would ask.

Allow me to suggest something.

You don't have to sit at the screen all day.

In case you missed it......

You don't have to sit at the screen all day.

I wouldn't recommend that to anybody.

The real reward of going through all the pain of learning to trade is give give yourself something very few working people have. FREEDOM to live as YOU choose. NOT to shackle yourself to your PC, bring on high blood pressure and madness.

Set yourself a realistic daily target and wait for the trade to come to you. Get away from 5 min charts and stick to minimum H4. Do some TA, swot up on the fundamentals, place your orders, then switch the bloody thing off and live life.

Believe you me nobody on their death bed is going to say, "I wish I'd spent more time at the trading screen."

I am about to go and play golf for the rest of the day having finished a short trade I took on the EURUSD yesterday afternoon.

That's freedom.

nine said:

100% with you on the Socially except in so far as family time goes - work did generate drink times that are harder to do now.

Disagree Physically - I never used to get to the gym or do the walking I do now ... and if you're worried then just trade standing up which will use 60 cals extra per hour and stops you absorbing fat from those salted cashews.

Half and half mentally - I've been making an effort to recognize that a trade can't take place in the next 10 minutes and take a break to read or do a crossword. Even my Sudoku's are getting better.

I'd rather be trading than just about anything else - I could even solve the social side if I just made more of an effort

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but - Sudoko is impossible!

JTrader said:

Socially - you might as well buy a shell and live as a hermit crab

Click to expand...

How many people are really good friends with their work colleagues? Are they just forcing friendships due to their circumstances? My best mates have no connection to any job I have had and I speak to them via IM, facebook and even the 'telephone' during the day!

JTrader said:

Physically - the job of a sloath provides a better workout

Click to expand...

Sitting in an office doing any job is the same - you do have the choice to do sit ups through your trading session if you wanted!

JTrader said:

Mentally - sat looking at a flickering wick on screen for extendded periods of time

Click to expand...

I have just applied for my home learning A level courses to get me into uni so as long as the PC is nearby, mental challenges are easy to find.

Life is what you make it!

sweepylongbananafiend said:

How many people are really good friends with their work colleagues? Are they just forcing friendships due to their circumstances? My best mates have no connection to any job I have had and I speak to them via IM, facebook and even the 'telephone' during the day!



Sitting in an office doing any job is the same - you do have the choice to do sit ups through your trading session if you wanted!



I have just applied for my home learning A level courses to get me into uni so as long as the PC is nearby, mental challenges are easy to find.

Life is what you make it!

Click to expand...

What about A level night classes, they might make it a bit more interesting and stimulating and intellectually rewarding a course...

JTrader said:

What about A level night classes, they might make it a bit more interesting and stimulating and intellectually rewarding a course...

Click to expand...

The rewarding part for me will be the acceptance into university. Yes I could go to night classes, meet more people, go to the pub afterwards, forget half of what I learnt, find a bit on the side............. but, without the course to do during the day I will end up posting non stop on forums!

Make life what you like

Well first,
This life is what one makes it, I tend to get to the gym three times a week, as I need to due to the lack of exersise through sittingat the screans over the years has had an affect on my health.
I would probibly trade between 9 and 11 if there is any oppertunity and see that through to 4 ish i its a good one.
If nothing is traded on the morning I would go out to gym or to afriends before getting back for USA opening.
As for USA trading most days Im done before 5pm, if not one has to do what one has to do ......
After a long day (4-6 hours) I would not trade the next day.

Remember we are our own bosses here, and we do this work because we like it, but its worth remembering our health comes first.

Hope this has helped . TomTom

sweepylongbananafiend said:

The rewarding part for me will be the acceptance into university. Yes I could go to night classes, meet more people, go to the pub afterwards, forget half of what I learnt, find a bit on the side............. but, without the course to do during the day I will end up posting non stop on forums!

Click to expand...

Fair play!

I once started an A level in Law at night class. A 3 hour class once per week. It was an A level "fasttrack" (over 1 year), so it was a double intensity work load.

I stuck it out for about 3 months, before realising i had learnt sweet FA, i was just collecting masses of papers/notes from the tutor, before holepunching them, and sticking them neatly in my ring binder, never to be looked at again, and in 5 months, I'm meant to be sitting exams.....It was never going to happen!

Dedication is all you need!

JTrader said:

Fair play!

I once started an A level in Law at night class. A 3 hour class once per week. It was an A level "fasttrack" (over 1 year), so it was a double intensity work load.

I stuck it out for about 3 months, before realising i had learnt sweet FA, i was just collecting masses of papers/notes from the tutor, holepunching them, and sticking them in my ring binder, never to be looked at again, and in 5 months, I'm meant to be sitting exams.....It was never going to happen!

Click to expand...

If you wanted the A-level, you would have worked a bit harder for it though.......

sweepylongbananafiend said:

If you wanted the A-level, you would have worked a bit harder for it though.......

Click to expand...

Exactly!

I didn't need it in the end, and i knew that when i quit.

I did it as i thought an A level in Law would be interesting and sounded impressive. I did learn that for me, studying Law was not interesting. It basically involved memorising the dates names of many different laws that had come into play, and regurgitating it on an exam paper. Similar to A level history where you need to remember similar events/dates/facts etc - except A level history was interesting.

BTW - that guy looks like what i imagine Micheal Phelps will look like in 30 years time!

JTrader said:

Exactly!

I didn't need it in the end, and i knew that when i quit.

I did it as i thought an A level in Law would be interesting and sounded impressive. I did learn that for me, studying Law was not interesting.

Click to expand...

Ah yes well, amazing how many go into law thinking it will be fascinating but I'm sure the nitty gritty is dull as hell! Guess they all have this picture of being like 'shark' and living the high life but it comes down to researching thousands of books to find cases to win a case!

The money and freedom count for a lot but were that not an issue, has anyone had a job before that they found more interesting, exciting, challenging, fascinating and rewarding?