When am I a trader?

Hello

I want a little advice here. I have been trading on and off for around 3 years. I stopped working 9 months ago. This was not my choice. I took the opportunity to trade full time. I now spend my days looking at charts and waiting for something I like the look of. I dont have a real system that I could document. I mostly trade EUR GBP intraday. I am no genius and I dont know any secrets. I have been profitable for the last 6 months. I never allow myself the belief that I am a successful trader because I still have the fear of what could go wrong. Although as time goes by I guess I will at some point have to start to believe that I am a trader.

This is not meant to sound like trumpet blowing. The reason for the post is to ask other traders for their opinion. When do you let yourself believe that you are a trader and that this is / will be your main / only source of income for the next x years or forever?

Thanks

Hi,

Too much importance is given to the term 'trader'.

You make money, you laugh! Who cares what you call it.

regards
daytrading

5 years.

Your question: "When am I a trader?" ... When you are actively trading. A trader trades. Simple as that!

If you are asking this question, you don't yet have an image in your own mind of yourself as A Trader. Do you have a trading garment? If not, get one (mine is a purple Ralph Lauren cashmere scarf) .. and when you are trading, wear it. This will help you focus. It also makes you feel like you're "in the office".

Your other questions (regarding trading being your main source of income etc.) should be in your business plan. If you haven't yet developed your business plan yet, search online and you'll find some good tools.

All the best.

I didn't mean I ONLY wear the RL scarf when I'm trading, I meant that I throw it on over whatever I'm dressed in already ... Naked trading, I think not!

Thats the exact package. You only care about being labelled a trader for some sort of recognition from others. I would rather the title retired with an income source. Labelling yourself a trader personally would add pressure, it would also have every man and his dog asking you whats this doing, or are you buying that, whats your recommendation of the markets. Its bad enough you get it here in this forum, couldnt imagine it on the outside world.

Best tip, just make money and stay anonymous about it.

Razor

I am a golfer - when I was a member of my local club I played off a handicap of 14.

Tiger Woods is a golfer......

I am a trader - I trade micro lots and have a handicap of

Paul Rotter is a trader......

What we call ourselves isn't really relevant - it's what we do with the tools Nature has given us that defines what we are.

Your posts gave me goose bumps...It reminds me why I came to the factory in the first place...I wish there would be more post like these..Im kind of getting tired of all the bitching and moaning.

I'm a Candlestick Quality Control Manager, part time golfer, part time fishermen, and full time husband and father

You must first pass the Test.

Great example of bitching and moaning

LOL

C'mon, opie... are you talking about the "AMAZING TEST"?

Answering the question...

When I'm in front of those "fancy charts" (as my wife says...) clicking, I'm a trader.

When I'm at the hospital, I'm a doctor.

Cheers!

when you were born, did your parents say: look at the beautiful baby, when he is grown up he will be a human being ... someday, when he's got a job, a house, a car, a wife and two children?

when you were a kid, did you like to do something like playing music, drawing comics, repairing engines, building matchstick houses, reading dostojevski or trying to understand imaginary numbers? and when your whole family came together at christmas, you showed them what you've done ... did they say: oh, look at the bright boy, he's a [...], when he is grown up he will be a great [...]. did you stood there and questioned yourself or the sanity of your family, or were you motivated and felt good about yourself and did even better, because you knew someone believed in you?

when you started trading, did you say to yourself i want to be a trader?

Refer PeterFM's post ... lovely ... however, as of the seven o'clock news tonight (in Sydney), Tiger Baby ain't no golfer no mo'!

How disappointing. So handsome, so good at his chosen craft, so arrogant. Why do people in high profile positions think they're not going to get sprung?

Sigh. I'll just have to perv on someone else on the tour until Mr Woods comes back out of hiding.

While it is no excuse (Tiger Woods) it is also only blown out of proportion because of his world wide status. It happens hundreds if not thousands of times a day in the world but because he is such a public figure it has been blown out of control.

Journalists are parasites that feed on the these occasions and more than often do more damage than is needed. This man has single handedly changed golf in the modern era and he is on the brink of eclipsing the greatest golfer ever. Its a shame really. It is only in the past decade since technology has improved that more stories like this seem to "occur". Im sure there was infidelity in some of the biggest names before technology boomed and the speed of processing journalist views became so easy. Besides for some reason now these 'public people' seem to have absolutly zero privacy which, backs my view of parasitic journos and asks the question "why so many buy into it all"?

By blaming Tiger for an event which should be handled privately then we should look at all those involved in such behaviors and condem them publicly aswell. I feel sorry for the guy, more so for his wife and kids, but seriously is it not enough to just enjoy watching someone play the best golf most of us will ever see.

Razor

PS sorry to get this off subject

To stay off pointe for a second, how do you think Tiger would rate playing the golf greats of yesteryear with the golf tech of olden days?

En pointe, what do we think is the salient trading analogy in all of this?

I personally think he would excel. His approach shots and ability to make difficult putts is what puts him a mile ahead of the field. He also knows his ability. I have seen him tee off more and more with Irons these days which would give him an equal standing in relation to the old woods and golf courses have definatly gotten longer and I dare say more difficult. Some courses room for error is very small and the difference can be that approach shot with 1 iron vs another.

There is alot more golf these days, much that same with most modern sports which gives Tiger the advantage in that he has played alot more golf, and the break time is much smaller with participation in more than 2-3 events in a calender month not the uncommon meaning that players can stay hot.

I dont think it is fair to compare current superstars with previous because the time they we great is not comparable from 1 era to another. Sampras was awesome as is Nadal and Federer but to compare either parties and who would be better can only really be done from a theoretical view. Now if someone could some how warp history and have the players at the prime playing against todays players, well hell that would be some tournaments I wouldnt miss for the world.

Razor

We will get back on track soon, or I will start a new thread

Yes, darling, all agreed.

What is the point we're getting back to? Let's go!