
Archive for November, 2009
Systematizing Losses to Feel Good
A former Tribe* member emailed about some feelings about losses:
“…..puking it up is the best way to describe for me the series of taking daily small losses. My question is…. how can we systematize a process for learning how to make this actually feel good?”
The systematizing part is easy as you know…it’s the making it feel good part that you have to work on. I’m not sure you have to make it feel good either. It already might be a good feeling that you’re just not used to. However, you might consider trying to visualize what you’re missing by doing the right thing (massive drawdowns that are emotionally destabilizing) by taking consistent small losses. :) That’s what I might do.
“It still feels like crap to me even though its the best thing to do. And I do it…but I feel like crap all day after doing the right thing.”
I can identify with that feeling and you know the question that’s coming next: “Where do you feel that feeling in your body?”
What do you think the “but I feel like crap all day after doing the right thing” part is trying to tell you?
How do you feel today feeling like this after taking the small loss? (Hint: Is it regret or frustration? And where do you feel those feelings in your body?)
* Tribe (short for Trading Tribe) is owned by Ed Seykota.
Read MorePaulson’s Rules
Paulson’s investing lessons:
1. Don’t Rely on Experts
2. Bubble Trouble
3. Focus on Debt Markets
4. Master New investments
5. Insurance Pays
6. Experience Counts
7. Don’t Fall In Love
8. Luck Helps
I like #7….
You cannot fall in love with a trade when you’re making money. You have to have a certain level of mistrust. Why? Because you never know why you’re making money in the first place. You may be lucky, you may be right in your fundamental analysis. You might be up for reasons you haven’t even considered.
Put your protective stop order in and enjoy the ride. And make sure you come out having made money – don’t let an otherwise winning trade become a loser or a break-even trade.
Read MoreBlog post at Mises
Just posted a new story at LvM Institute called The ABCs of Bias: Puma, Crude Oil, and You.
Read MoreABC News Quotes Mike Martin
I’m quoted in a story on heating oil by ABC News. The liberal bitches cut out my best quote and in doing so left the story to be one of these BS Michael Moore syrupy sob stories. Below is the quote that was pulled from the very end of the story.
“Stable prices and cheap fuel are not our birthright,” argues the L.A. trader/instructor Martin. “This recent run up has everything to do with U.S. monetary policy and nothing to do with Wall Street speculators.”
I guess ABC ain’t anything like Fox…
Read MoreJared Dillian, author of Street Freak and publisher of the Daily Dirt Nap newsletter
“365 days a year, it’s Game 7.” — Joe Terranova
If you don’t know yourself as a trader, it doesn’t matter what you know.
Active Bear ETF Manager John Del Vecchio.
If you don’t learn to time the market, just give your money away. Either way, you are a philanthropist.







