Wick

A few things stand in my way. The main problem for me is I can't find something I'm completely comfortable with. Yes, I'm fully aware of the mindset change when you paper trade and then put real capital at risk. Even though I'm aware, it seems eventually I give in to the pressure and feel I should try and find a way that improves my results. Really my results are pretty good. My account is up quite a bit since I started, but when I start losing I tend to go back to paper trading until I find another method. This really helps preserve my capital, but it takes many months of sim trading to get comfortable in a new strategy again. Another problem is time. I miss a lot of trades just due to work. I'm like most other traders, I have to try every way, every market, and every indicator. Maybe once I try a 100 methods I can adapt just one. I will say price action is far more useful than indicators. Right now I'm using zero indicators in crude and doing pretty well. I've watched crude now for almost 2 years and have a really good feel for it. Sometimes I just make some popcorn, sit back in my recliner and watch crude oil.

I definitely agree with some of the other posts that state 18 months is not enough. I've been teaching myself trading for about four years now. It amazing how my thoughts have changed since I began. I paper trade, then trade with real money, then realize my system doesn't work, then repeat the process. The important thing is I learn from it. Eventually I hope I find my way and quit my job. I set a goal to do that and I'll do whatever it takes to achieve that. I joking say "trade or die". I think if you want to be successful in trading you have to have that mentality. Currently I'm very discouraged because I still can't consistently make money after four years...and well, I may never get there, but I'm not giving up. When I do get to that point it will make it that much sweeter. Trading is the hardest thing I have ever done and I truly want to beat it.