I want to quit my job so I can stare at blinking numbers every day

Hi,

Would appreciate some thoughts on my life:

Just turned 24 years old, work in London, square mile, earn $80k/year - but the work means nothing to me. That said, I can't think of an alternative career or business idea to pursue. I strongly feel that I am sleep walking through life towards death. I work quite a lot of hours each week and I find it difficult to form any social life as result. By London standards my hours are probably a couple of notches above average - the world has lost work/life balance in my opinion (I digress).

I am single, no kids, no wife, no responsibilities except to myself and so financially I feel quite rich - but what is the point in this existence I ask myself? I can hardly take it any more.

I am compelled to quit my job so that I can sit at home from 7am - 11:30am every day staring at, specifically, the orderbook and T&S for eurostoxx 50. No charts. No fundamental knowledge. Never trading economic numbers.

I would like to do this for 12 months, using the ninja trader simulator, possibly making no trades whatsoever during that time. If at the end of 12 months I have convinced myself that I can successfully scalp the market, I will start putting money at stake (velocity futures, 1.48EUR round turn commissions all in w/ X-trader, if I understand correctly, which is the best I've seen).

Otherwise, I will give up on the dream.

So what do I do after 11:30am? My intention was to work behind a local bar, helping to pay for living costs and simultaneously placing myself in a more social setting.

This isn't the first time I've sought a second opinion - it's such a big decision though that I'll take all the thoughts I can get.

Much appreciated for anyone who has the time to read and respond

sounds like you definitely need to leave now before you make yourself unhappy and get stuck in a rut forever. takes real guts to change course in life. you never regret the decisions you made only the ones you didn't take. good luck buddy!

Ask yourself if this is really what you want to do? Perhaps you think you do but have you tried doing it?
First of all give it shot. Try to see if it suits you. Many times we think something suits us but it does not.

Do you dream of being a trader? There has to be one more solid reason apart from earning money for you to enter. Do you want to be the best trader in the world?

Leaving $80k/year job to work behind a bar requires a special mind set and personality. A lot of people here would probably advise you against it. In the end of the day if you are influenced by opinions of others then trading is not a business to be in.

Perhaps there is more to it. You just do not like your current job and are looking to do something exciting that really pushes you.

If you are going to ask the opinions of others as to what you should do your OWN life then thats not the way to go. The answer to this question has to be given by YOU and only YOU.

If you do not know the answer then its probably a good idea just to stay where you are and not take any additional risk until you have it. Staring at a screen and working behind a bar should not really a reason to quit what you have right now.

Ask yourself these questions and answer them in your mind with NO bull ****

1. I am not interested in my current job. I hate it because?
2. It is now determined that no matter how much I push myself, I am doomed to quit one day. I wonder what things in life I am interested in? Its hard to answer if you do not have much going on but there has to be some stuff out there that interests everybody. Look for those things.
3. I am going into trading business purely for money? Perhaps my goal is to make 4 times $80k? But do I really like looking at charts and candle sticks moving up and down?
4. Perhaps I am not a trader but what is it that I really want to do? Is it the lack of social life that might be the issue?
5. Or there is some thing else?

A lot and I mean a lot of people really do not really find out what they want to do in their life. They get into a field as they get temporarily excited because of stability of money supply but after a few years start hating it. Its an ongoing process. Some people just learn to live with what they have and others do not and keep taking plunges until they find the true course of action. Unfortunately in the current debt ridden capitalistic world, very few people actually do make it into their dream paths.

Time is now to take action on your part while you have limited liabilities on your head. Once these burdens start growing, you would have limited capacity to maneuver to finally find your truth.

You should go on a Greg Secker forex course. There you will meet many interesting people who, like you, want to work just a few hours a day leaving lots of time for other pursuits. I'm led to believe they may even have a forex club you can join. I'm not sure why you want to waste 4 hours working, they can show you how to do all that in one hour a day.

why waste time with greg secker when darren winters can have you trading like a hedge fund manager for a few thousand quid

I hear Mike Bagdaddy is pretty good too

do it mate, what have you got to lose!

Nothing that you value from the sounds of it

Gordon Gekko said:

why waste time with greg secker when darren winters can have you trading like a hedge fund manager for a few thousand quid

Click to expand...

Why trade at all, just buy a forex robot.

the hare said:

I hear Mike Bagdaddy is pretty good too

Click to expand...

World Champion 2009, according to him.

can someone explain why all these scammers are being borught up? must be missing something...

I too would like to be a being a full time trader, but im not ready yet... so im going to keep working, probably around 1/2 days in my office with my day job as i gain more experience in the markets and see where i go from there... i am going give it my best shot, and to me that means i'll succeed.

Good luck with it mate if you believe you can do it, and you take the correct steps... you will.

pboyles said:

Why trade at all, just buy a forex robot.

Click to expand...

Do these even work at a good at a good level?

If you are already feeling socially isolated/life lacking in that direction, I am not sure the isolation of sitting at home with a flickering screen and virtual friends is a good idea...I certainly wouldn't do it knowing what I know now...You are young, smart (or lucky) to be earning well at that age, so if you do consider trading as a career just make sure you have a plan that addresses both needs but know also that sometimes one or the other will suffer because you are concentrating too hard on the other...this is just life...it's a hard balance to strike, but not impossible.

If I were 24 again I wouldn't even consider trading but that's just my take on it.

Whatever you decide,

G/L

So am I the only one that thinks the original post is a windup?

pboyles said:

So am I the only one that thinks the original post is a windup?

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Lol if it was a wind up he could of made it a bit more exciting, eg:

"I gave my life and my soul to the devil which in my case was pursuing a pro wrestling career, all i wanted to do was make it big in the wrestling industry, things didn't go to plan, i was constantly injured and i was battling drink and drugs addiction as well as an addiction to thai prostitutes, in the end its cost me my wife, my kids and my home.. i have 5k left, my only hope is to jump in head 1st with 5% a pop on swing trading Dow? Whats your views?"

:cheesy:

pboyles said:

So am I the only one that thinks the original post is a windup?

Click to expand...

ah, good point

I dunno... having read it more closely it could be... not sure...

spearchew said:

Hi,

Would appreciate some thoughts on my life:

Just turned 24 years old, work in London, square mile, earn $80k/year - but the work means nothing to me. That said, I can't think of an alternative career or business idea to pursue. I strongly feel that I am sleep walking through life towards death. I work quite a lot of hours each week and I find it difficult to form any social life as result. By London standards my hours are probably a couple of notches above average - the world has lost work/life balance in my opinion (I digress).

I am single, no kids, no wife, no responsibilities except to myself and so financially I feel quite rich - but what is the point in this existence I ask myself? I can hardly take it any more.

I am compelled to quit my job so that I can sit at home from 7am - 11:30am every day staring at, specifically, the orderbook and T&S for eurostoxx 50. No charts. No fundamental knowledge. Never trading economic numbers.

I would like to do this for 12 months, using the ninja trader simulator, possibly making no trades whatsoever during that time. If at the end of 12 months I have convinced myself that I can successfully scalp the market, I will start putting money at stake (velocity futures, 1.48EUR round turn commissions all in w/ X-trader, if I understand correctly, which is the best I've seen).

Otherwise, I will give up on the dream.

So what do I do after 11:30am? My intention was to work behind a local bar, helping to pay for living costs and simultaneously placing myself in a more social setting.

This isn't the first time I've sought a second opinion - it's such a big decision though that I'll take all the thoughts I can get.

Much appreciated for anyone who has the time to read and respond

Click to expand...

You did'nt actually say what job is being given up !

Thanks all, appreciate your time very much.
More replies of course welcome.
Particularly interested to hear from older guys who've put the years in, staring at flashing numbers; whether you would make different choices if you could turn back the clock to age 24.

It isn't a wind up, not sure why anyone would think that - it is not exactly an amusing post.

Counter_violent: I don't care to be too specific, suffice it to say I analyze a particular market. (I grew up in south manchester, as it goes).

No interest in forex, no interest in training courses, no interest in charts.

Sunday night, gonna have to iron at least one shirt for tomorrow, start to feel a bit ill at the prospect of another week.

spearchew said:

I grew up in south manchester...

No interest in forex, no interest in training courses, no interest in charts....

Sunday night, gonna have to iron at least one shirt for tomorrow...

Start to feel a bit ill at the prospect of another week....

Click to expand...

Fookin 'ell, with that verse you must be Morrissey..Yeah give it up lad

Spearchew,

It sounds like you need a change one way or another, but I don't get the feelingfrom your post that you are driven to trade, just that its a way out.
It sounds lke you are working in the City and doing OK form a professional point of view, there are a whole host of opportunities there at your age. Take the time to think of all the options before throwing it in. The time you have invested in your current job has got value at the moment for changing between different City careers (and they are so varied from job to job to firm to firm there is almost something for everyone if you take the time to find it). A year or two out may erase that investment totally..its not always easy to get back.

I'm not saying don't trade, but don't see it as an easy way out. If you want to go ahead try it for a couple of weeks of hols first. Look for other options to learn while you work too, or maybe go part time for a while.