A colleague of mine just returned from a scuba diving trip in Cozumel, which just happens to be one of my favorite places to dive. Anyway, she was telling me about an unexpected difficulty she encountered while swimming around the corral reef down about 85 feet. It wasn't anything serious but her story reminded me of something my scuba instructor used to say over and over again. "Plan your dive, and dive your plan".
When you're down about 90 or 100 feet the nitrogen acts on your body in a way that's not too dissimilar to having one dry martini on an empty stomach. It's called Nitrogen Narcosis, Rapture of the Depths, or Martini's Law. So the thing to do is get your planning done while you have a clear head, (i.e. on the surface). And then when you're deep into it, and you're feeling a bit euphoric, or nervous, you don't have to make any decisions about 'what' to do. You just follow your plan.
This holds true for trading as well. When you're feeling the euphoria or nervousness set in, remember to follow your plan. And, uhm yeah,, also have a plan to follow. Clear heads will prevail.
Years ago I had the good fortune of talking with a trading guru for several hours. This individual is world renowned for his trading saavy and skill. What he elaborated in that conversation had a tremendous impact on me. HE said that when he learned how to trade that his family enforced only one rule that he had to follow. KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO GET OUT BEFORE YOU GET IN. He felt that the problem that most traders had was that they felt that this simplicity did not apply to them. I remember sitting and speaking with him and thinking about my own mistakes, primarily letting hope take over in my decision making.
Many traders think that crying "UNCLE" on a trade and taking a loss is unacceptable. Since that conversation I have taken numerous losses on trades but it's funny how they don't have the STING that they used to because I PLAN MY DIVE and DIVED MY PLAN.
This is really simple and incredibly workable. Apply it to your own trading and investing.
-Downjonesfully,
Harald Anderson
http://www.eoptionstrader.com
Harald Anderson is the founder and Chief Analyst of eOptionsTrader.com a leading online resource of http://www.eoptionstrader.com. He writes regularly for financial publications on Risk Management and Trading Strategies. His goal in life is to become the kind of person that his dog already thinks he is. http://www.eoptionstrader.com.
elite cleaning services Mundelein ..When it comes to mutual funds, there is a lot... Read More
Trading is a fascinating activity.There are so many layers to... Read More
What the heck am I talking about?It is often said... Read More
Money management starts with protecting your capital, realizing profits and... Read More
Have you seen all those big full page ads for... Read More
Today we are inundated with tons of information about the... Read More
The gleam and bright lights of Wall Street lure in... Read More
When we go to the circus we see a trapeze... Read More
There is a famous cliff on the ocean in Acapulco... Read More
Let's first define insanity. It is doing the same thing... Read More
Sometimes the best way of lowering exposure to risk is... Read More
1. Do not spread your money too thin.My friend has... Read More
This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More
Outlined below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of... Read More
When most analysts, financial planners, fund specialists and investors try... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
Let's hope you did not have any of the Enron... Read More
This article describes the model of a natural relationship between... Read More
The bear market that showed up at the end of... Read More
After some forty years of banking and investments, I retired... Read More
An insane person cannot evaluate an insane evaluation system.As you... Read More
Four blind men were asked to give a description of... Read More
What! Me worry?Many of you remember the cover of MAD... Read More
The World Bank claims that some two billion of the... Read More
Reduce your investing and stock market risks by:Setting your sights... Read More
Airbnb cleaning service Mundelein ..The World Bank claims that some two billion of the... Read More
Picking a beaten-down stock requires a different kind of selection... Read More
Index Fund Trading can be one of the most profitable...or... Read More
Sometime around 1980, can't remember exactly, there was a flight... Read More
Ever have one of those sample boxes of candy? Each... Read More
In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at... Read More
It is finally catching up with them. The brokerage companies... Read More
This is a guide to the different types of mutual... Read More
In a previously written article, we expanded the use of... Read More
In his wonderful book, 'Multiple Streams of Income', best selling... Read More
Right now there doesn't seem to be any "gold fever".... Read More
For years I have been saying you must have a... Read More
When it comes to buying a stock or mutual fund... Read More
Did you know you can make money (and a lot... Read More
I often play a little game with myself when I... Read More
As GuruFocus updates the stock buys and sells of gurus,... Read More
There are formulas for just about everything, but it has... Read More
An investor can find and research the best stock on... Read More
It is commonly reported that the stock market averages about... Read More
Maximizing a stock market investmentThere are several factors an investor... Read More
THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR standing firm in the... Read More
First let's see what protectionism is. According to Mr. Webster... Read More
Because there are so many stocks that are NOT paying... Read More
One of the great truisms of Wall Street is "Don't... Read More
Investing in long-term financial vehicles give you the most gains... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |