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fjkollar
05-09-2008, 01:46 PM
The winning market timer is the disciplined market timer. Discipline means controlling impulses and controlling emotions.

As many new market timers can tell you, however, maintaining discipline is often easier said than done.

Just as the vast majority of market participants are driven by fear and greed, many new market timers find it difficult to avoid succumbing to self-doubt and panic.

Market timing is challenging in that we often take positions "against" the prevailing sentiment of the majority of traders.

Discipline is key, and it is vital to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain that discipline.

Markets Are Chaotic

The markets are chaotic and unpredictable. The current volatility being a perfect example. When faced with an uncertain set of circumstances, it is easy to see why market timers may, at times, feel unsure and unsettled.

Timers follow strategies that provide entry and exit signals based on plans designed to be profitable over time, and that will also protect their capital.

But no timer can know with certainty how any "one" buy or sell decision will play out. Some market timers thrive on the excitement, but many find it disconcerting.

The best way to combat feelings of uncertainty is simply by following a trading plan. If one trades with a detailed trading plan, such as the strategies offered at FibTimer.com, he or she will impose structure onto an unstructured reality.

The markets may seem at times like a mass of confusion, but you can address it by following a strategy that actually uses the volatility of the markets to generate timing decisions.

The more structure you have to follow, the less uncertain and unorganized you'll feel. You will know what to do and when to do it.

Optimistic Yet Realistic

One's mood and attitude is another factor that impacts the ability to maintain discipline. An optimistic yet realistic attitude is vital to maintain market timing success.

Because market timing often places you at odds with the current market sentiment, it is understandably hard to feel optimistic when your position is at odds with the majority.

It takes practice.

Emotions And Decision Making

Maintaining discipline is vital for market timing success. It can be extremely difficult at times, especially in sideways (non-trending) markets.

The best way to be disciplined is to stick to your timing strategy and keep your emotions and impulses under control.

Only by maintaining discipline can you realize long term success timing the markets.

Remember that all trading strategies require discipline. Not just market timers. It is the one crucial element between successful traders and unsuccessful ones.

knightrader
05-09-2008, 05:14 PM
Too many would be traders give up before ever getting near to conquering the discipline issue.I believe it can only be conquered by losing money.You literally have to get to the point where you are sick of losing money and admit that its not the strategy but you that is the problem.Trouble is,most newcomers do not have the patience to go through 2 years of losing money,then just maintaining breakeven before finally getting to make steady gains.The world today is designed to fool you into thinking you can have something if you want it regardless of whether you can afford it (hence the sub prime crisis) regardless of whether you deserve it (hence the obscene wall street bonuses- is there a limit to what these people think they should withdraw from a business?) regardless whether you have the ability(hence the endless procession of d list celebs whose talent is what?)and regardless of whether you have the patience and discipline(hence the high failure rate for traders)Looking for the holygrail magic indicator is not the answer-sorry,nothing is going to help you avoid a very long learning curve which you will pay for with your own money.The industry is all geared up to selling you indicators and charts and software for the simple reason that you cannot sell someone discipline or money management skills.The frustrating thing is the market is very simple in the end,it can only move between support and resistance.It cannot move in any other way.Think of a simple way of exploiting that fact and then spend about 95% of your time concentrating on patience,discipline and money management-then watch yourself take a giant step forward in your trading results.