How are you doing in the stock market?  If you are consistently successful, most probably you are in the minority.  Those that are doing well have learned to follow the trend yet hedge against the inevitable adverse moves that can occur.  Some have been big winners with purely directional plays without regard to hedging.  That is a dangerous game and should be left to those who have the stomach to play that way.

I just had a conversation with a trader that I mentor who is struggling to find his trading persona.  I told him of a time earlier in my trading career when I had a purely directional position on and I met my daughter of coffee during trading hours.  I found myself not being “present” with her.  I wasn’t even able to recall the content of our conversation.  She would have had better interaction with a wall.  My mind was on the trade and I missed an opportunity to spend quality time with my daughter.  That is time that I will never retrieve.  I can’t recapture that and all for a stupid trade.  I resolved from that point forward not to let trading rule my life.  I found that I was unwilling to give the absolute attention and sacrifice that was necessary to be a directional trader.  I wanted a life and I wanted to sleep at night.  My trading friend called me that very afternoon following our morning conversation and said “I understand now what you were talking about.  I nearly drove off the road and had an accident because I was so preoccupied with a directional trade.”  Obviously, for some, trading directionally with no hedge works well, but for me and many that I know, that style of trading is stressful and fraught with “I should have done that, why didn’t I do that” and losses. Personally, I want a life and the ability to enjoy other things.

Over the years, I have become very proficient at market timing, but even now, I use that information to structure trades that are bullish, bearish or neutral bias but always with a hedge.  I trade for a living but I am not living to trade. 

If you want to learn how to do that, I would encourage you to take a look at www.marketamer.com.  It could change your life.  Best, Robin

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