Find your Favourite Pattern
The single biggest and most important thing that made my trading fairly consistently profitable was the eventual realization that "indicators" had no part at all to play in my trading decisions.
Other factors that helped me a lot were:-
(i) the acquisition of patience and discipline;
(ii) starting to develop some understanding (mostly from reading 4 or 5 books by Joe Ross) of the interplay between human behavior and price movements in the markets, and the potentially profitable pattern-recognition aspects of that interplay;
(iii) some dispassionate analysis of probability and "the math of trading", particularly regarding position sizes and statistical assessments of one's "edge" (for which I found both Tushar S. Chande's "Beyond Technical Analysis" and Van K. Tharp's "Trade Your Way To Financial Freedom" helpful);
(iv) an appreciation that there are plenty of good, valuable and often reliable technical analysis parameters and techniques available which have absolutely nothing at all to do with indicators.
"Others' mileage will doubtless vary".
Other factors that helped me a lot were:-
(i) the acquisition of patience and discipline;
(ii) starting to develop some understanding (mostly from reading 4 or 5 books by Joe Ross) of the interplay between human behavior and price movements in the markets, and the potentially profitable pattern-recognition aspects of that interplay;
(iii) some dispassionate analysis of probability and "the math of trading", particularly regarding position sizes and statistical assessments of one's "edge" (for which I found both Tushar S. Chande's "Beyond Technical Analysis" and Van K. Tharp's "Trade Your Way To Financial Freedom" helpful);
(iv) an appreciation that there are plenty of good, valuable and often reliable technical analysis parameters and techniques available which have absolutely nothing at all to do with indicators.
"Others' mileage will doubtless vary".
I guess its EXPERIENCE, having to go through all that nerve wracking exp, swimming through a sea of options, then realizing how important the basics are. 
but another thing I'd say is learn from other peoples mistakes and build a solid foundation which suits your style of trading. somewhere out there you will find it. sooner or later. (i hope i made sense) best of luck mate!
but another thing I'd say is learn from other peoples mistakes and build a solid foundation which suits your style of trading. somewhere out there you will find it. sooner or later. (i hope i made sense) best of luck mate!
