The FOMO Paradox: Fearlessly Embrace the Joy of Missing Out In the vast realm of trading, where fortunes are made and lost, one peculiar phenomenon reigns supreme: FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out. It is a force that tempts even the most seasoned traders, whispering in their ears with alluring promises of quick gains and overnight success. But in this whimsical...
Funniest thing always happens in a bear market; You get influencer guru wannabe gigachads acting like they're OJ Simpsons lawyer trying to argue a case they know is wrong. If the glove fits, right? When the ships sinking peeps turn into three people; (1) They admit they were wrong, reassess and act accordingly (2) They deny their lying eyes and continue to...
True story: Yesterday I was having a cigar perched under an umbrella in the rain - not ideal, but peaceful nonetheless. And out pops a family of birds to feast on the worms that rise to the surface in need of some high quality H2O - little did I know, this would become one of my favourite trading metaphors of all time! The Rain = Despair/Panic The Birds =...
( Warning - May cause offense and distress) It's a tale as old as the markets themselves - to use indicators or to not use indicators, that is the question. And to bring the answers you so desire it's none other than yours unruly - me, Ninja Nick! So buckle up because my way is totally biased, based, unapologetic and of course 100% correct forever and...
As yours truly lives his life as the best damn trader he can be, I oftentimes wonder how I do it. Time? Experience? Technique? It's all of the above and none of the above, in reality it's something I've previously touched on, which is self talk - now last time I graced your beloved eyes with my beautiful words, I mentioned how to use self talk and...
A Bambi's biggest trading obstacle in 2023 will be over trading in a bear market, especially the crypto kiddies looking for their next pump. This is why you have to restrain from whoring yourself out to the market in the hopes of making a quick buck. We call this, monk mode. Not the whoring, the opposite. Monk mode is abstinence from indulgence and has been...
After teaching a bunch of amateur traders over the years, I've come to realise in my not so humble, but highly righteous opinion that their biggest obstacle always seems to come down to their inability to abstain from placing a trade. They give into temptation. But as Jesus says; "Forgive them for they know not what they do." Yes I know Jesus wasn't a trader,...
Since it's summer and the BBQS are out, it got me reminiscing about old times. I used to tell people I was a trader, before I was even profitable. Do I recommend this? Nah not really no. (1) It puts tremendous pressure on yourself to do what you say. That pressure makes you rush, push and bully your risk into a brawl of epic proportions. (2) Most people...
Definition; "A rude and unscrupulous person". Many-o-moons ago I used to believe trading was a team sport (I know, how naive of me) but that's because I joined some supply and demand community where we all traded the same strategy. These days I'm more of a Snollygoster. I can't help it. When I see other traders, I see them as competition - even those I...
Despair and Hope, two sides of the same coin and the two emotions that rule your decision making. In my 10+ years of trading experience, I'm not sure it's even possible to not feel or be aware of them in some way - what I'm saying is, I don't know if you can get rid of them entirely from your trading. It may just be a constant (and natural) part of being a...
Man I used to have the worse timing, I cringe just thinking about all the times I entered a trade only to realise moments later I timed it wrong - this goes for long and short term investments - timing a trade wrong makes you feel more useless than a bottle of sand in a desert. But there are ways round it. Not easy, but possible. And it doesn't take a genius to...
Swashbuckling Definition; "Engaging in daring and romantic adventures with bravado or flamboyance." This is trading in most Bambi traders minds. Some of you literally see yourself as some knight in bright shining armour strolling through the village blowing kisses to the local women before you galavant into the mountains to slay a dragon. It's...
One hugely successful trick I've used over the years and yonks I've traded that very few (if any) traders use is certain self talk while analysing the charts. Most traders don't think, they react - and not with a coherent plan, but with an emotional rollercoaster of word spaghetti they dare not verbalise. Problem with this is you're at the mercy of your own...
Something I can't quite get across to traders, especially new traders is intuition. The dumb ones can't comprehend the subject and the smart ones (probably with a programming background) can't understand anything but an IF/THEN scenario. Problem is trading is an amalgamation of patterns, that don't perfectly repeat but often rhyme and if you're looking for...
Trading is actually super easy, but the overcomplication by Bambi traders and even experienced wannabe traders is monumental. Trading is basically three components; (1) Techniques (2) Risk Management (3) Psychology Techniques are very easy to find, you see them everywhere - finding one with a slightly higher win rate etc seems to be the goal of most traders,...
There are two fears that rule you and in reflection, the market. The first is obvious to most, FOMO aka The Fear of Missing Out. The second not so obvious fear is FOL aka The Fear of Loss. Most people take a trade because they fear of missing out on an opportunity. Let's say this trade starts to make money (rare, but indulge me) - that same fear that got...
I used to identify a ton with being a "trader" - for a while it was cool to tell people you're a trader, they immediately get interested and it's a great way to flex. However, (1) It's in NO way useful to anyone except your own ego and (2) If you're genuinely not earning a living from your trading then even worst you are propping up a veil of deceit to everyone...
Back when I first started (over ten years ago), I used to chase trades like a dog chasing its tail - I couldn't wait, I had to have my future dream now and I thought the only way to do that was to trade more - WRONG. It should go without saying that lessons more, but how does it apply to trading? Well let me give you an example of my routine and decide for...