Evolution of a trader

"Evolution of a Trader"

Author - Unknown

1. We accumulate information - buying books, going to seminars and
researching.

2. We begin to trade with our 'new' knowledge.

3. We consistently 'donate' and then realize we may need more
knowledge or information.

4. We accumulate more information.

5. We switch the markets we are currently following.

6. We go back into the market and trade with our 'updated'
knowledge.

7. We get 'beat up' again and begin to lose some of our confidence.
Fear starts setting in.

8. We start to listen to 'outside news' and to other traders.

9. We go back into the market and continue to 'donate'.

10. We switch markets again.

11. We search for more information.

12. We go back into the market and start to see a little progress.

13. We get 'over-confident' and the market humbles us.

14. We start to understand that trading successfully is going to
take more time and more knowledge than we anticipated.

MOST PEOPLE WILL GIVE UP AT THIS POINT, AS THEY REALISE WORK IS
INVOLVED.

15. We get serious and start concentrating on learning a 'real'
methodology.

16. We trade our methodology with some success, but realize that
something is missing.

17. We begin to understand the need for having rules to apply our
methodology.

18. We take a sabbatical from trading to develop and research our
trading rules.

19. We start trading again, this time with rules and find some
success, but over all we still hesitate when it comes time to
execute.

20. We add, subtract and modify rules as we see a need to be more
proficient with our rules.

21. We feel we are very close to crossing that threshold of
successful trading.

22. We start to take responsibility for our trading results as we
understand that our success is in us, not the methodology.

23. We continue to trade and become more proficient with our
methodology and our rules.

24. As we trade we still have a tendency to violate our rules and
our results are still erratic.

25. We know we are close.

26. We go back and research our rules.

27. We build the confidence in our rules and go back into the
market and trade.

28. Our trading results are getting better, but we are still
hesitating in executing our rules.

29. We now see the importance of following our rules as we see the
results of our trades when we don't follow the rules.

30. We begin to see that our lack of success is within us (a lack
of discipline in following the rules because of some kind of fear)
and we begin to work on knowing ourselves better.

31. We continue to trade and the market teaches us more and more
about ourselves.

32. We master our methodology and our trading rules.

33. We begin to consistently make money.

34. We get a little over-confident and the market humbles us.

35. We continue to learn our lessons.

36. We stop thinking and allow our rules to trade for us (trading
becomes boring, but successful) and our trading account continues
to grow as we increase our contract size.

37. We are making more money than we ever dreamed possible.

38. We go on with our lives and accomplish many of the goals we had
always dreamed of.