It's boring to trade a system; how do you use your time?

Discussions about personal psychology for the individual trader.
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alp
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Post by alp »

Alright, guys. What do you do to preserve your sanity while running your quant, boring and turtle-like systems?
LeviF
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Post by LeviF »

alp wrote:Alright, guys. What do you do to preserve your sanity while running your quant, boring and turtle-like systems?
I do research and testing in Blox, but haven't come up with anything notable in quite a while. I have a couple new books on the way, those should keep me preoccupied for a few days. Trading is quite boring.
Paul King
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Post by Paul King »

"Trading is quite boring"

Actually only, efficient, accurate, well-designed implementation of a sound and complete trading system is quite boring; most trading can be exciting, exhilarating, scary, surprising, etc. if you "design" it to be ;-).

My personal answer is to make trading only part of your business model and incorporate enough other things to keep you pretty busy; who wants to sit there watching a portfolio of positions go up and down all day until an exit rule is triggered?

Paul
teppum
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Post by teppum »

The whole point of developing a trading system is so that you can abstract your trading away from the psycological impediments of the human mind, including the need for excitement. If you feel bored then switch on the football, read a book, go out for a cycle ride. Let your system do the trading and find your excitement elsewhere.
DMFord
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Post by DMFord »

I do quite a lot of financial/economics reading and analysis & put my spare equity to work in other investments.

From Jan-Aug I've ridden the equity bounce on overseas markets & made a 45% return (now out of this), and then I moved a lot into mining/gold companies a few months back (now starting to show nice returns also).

Having the time to keep abreast of investment/business news puts you on another level to amateur investors. I never had this much success years ago when I invested part time.

Also plenty of time for canoeing, fishing, skiing, cycling, camping with the 4 little un's too!
alp
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Post by alp »

DMFord wrote:Also plenty of time for canoeing, fishing, skiing, cycling, camping with the 4 little un's too!
Looks like a smart choice.
azkurz
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Post by azkurz »

Play poker
kianti
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Post by kianti »

If not too bored, you could read:
A.Kiev, Trading to Win and
T.Gallwey, Inner Game of Golf

best regards, as ever
alp
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Post by alp »

azkurz wrote:Play poker
Zen and the Art of Poker is a great book in this regard.
rhc
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Post by rhc »

You could work on your Jazz chords . . . practice makes perfect you know.
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Jez Liberty
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Post by Jez Liberty »

@rhc I'd definitely go with that!

I actually picked up a guitar a few months ago (wife bought it for my birthday) and just messing with it is great.
Tried a couple of your chords - sounds great!

And then lots of sport, yoga, travelling, etc...
rhc
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Post by rhc »

Yes, the point of it all is that there are lots & lots & lots of things one can do.
As the old saying goes “Life is too short to be boredâ€
kianti
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Post by kianti »

A.Kiev, Trading to Win

Tue Dec 1, 2009 12:15pm EST
Trading coach to hedge fund powerhouse SAC dies

Rest In Peace
SpireTrader
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Post by SpireTrader »

I spend most of my time reading and studying trying to finish my MBA. Definitely not something you need to be a trend trader but its paid for and I'm damn near finished. Now just have to decide if I'm gonna devote myself fully to LTTF or get a "real" job.
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