Psychology
Great posts guys on dealing with the stuff not on the chart. Several of us started around the same time I did on this thread (12-18mos ago). And now we're getting to the point that we understand the material and what we should be looking for. Most of us have completed our first step(s) of proving it on demo and proving it with a small live account. We're now at a level of just relaxing and letting the trades coming to us.
I've struggled with the mindset that I have to be trading to be 'working' and that I have to have results to show I was doing something. That might mean reading an experts' post history [again and again]... or doing yet more backtesting.
Although this might have some (minor?) benefit, it also is a dangerous mentality. Instead, as everyone that has gone through this tells us - we need to keep it simple. Relax. Let the trades come to us. If we don't get a setup today, no worries. If we don't get a setup tomorrow, or even this week, no worries. That also means we didn't lose any trades today, tomorrow, this week. It's about putting our money on the line ONLY when we see a valid, tested, proven on demo, edge.
I feel only experience and perseverance will get us over this 'must stay busy' mentality. As I come up on a year of learning and trading this method that is Price Action, I look back and am proud of how far I've come. Does that mean I'm a successful trader? If successful means I'm still trading, using proper money management, then yes. And as my experience grows, so too will my account. Trading is a marathon. Maybe even an ultramarathon. It's certainly not a sprint. Realizing that and constantly reminding myself of that has really helped.
So thanks for those who post their experiences and advice about psychological battles they encounter. As SP mentioned, we need to learn about this stuff (through Fiji if you have that option) more than we realize.
Happy Trading,
Josh
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I can do this. It's simply a matter of time, energy and prayer.
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