Consistency is my goal

Status
Not open for further replies.
Quote from PropTraderMTL:

I know this example below is simple but think about it!

Strategy 1
+$2,500 (Day 1) + $3,000 (Day 2) - $3,800 (Day 3) - $1,000 (Day 4) +$1,200 (Day 5) = +$1,900 for the week

Strategy 2
+$600 (Day 1) + $800(Day 2) - $100 (Day 3) + $200 (Day 4) +$500 (Day 5) = +$2,000 for the week

Although its not fun and exciting you make more in the second strategy... It was not until I realised and fully accepted this that I was able to then implement my change.

I'm not making as much as I used to but now I am making $$$ much more consistently and more importantly I was able to get out of my hole. Nothing feels better then doing that

Agreed, it also took me some time to realize that ...

mastacoli71 has too big swings, I was doing the same thing win/loss : +/-15% per week.

You want to make 150k, it is 150%, you have 200 trading days (remainder holidays), you loose on 50 days max. 1% and you make 1-2% and you should get there.

You have to leverage down!
 
Quote from PropTraderMTL:

It really sounds like your trying to hit home runs. This is an awful strategy to come out of a hole. Trust me I have been there.... I got in a big hole... I would say I was about 25% responsible for it and the rest was a halt and I couldn't do anything about it.

Anyways, after getting in a big hole for the next 3-4 months I tried to really push it and make big trades. I really didn't make much back and was basically was just treading water and not making any progress.

For example I was easily making $2-4k a day but I wasn't being consistent and would lose 100% of what I made over 3 days in just one bad day. I would look back and go "wow if I just add up my positive days this month I would have made 25-30k" however then I include my bad days I would be up a couple of thousand if I was lucky.

The big change came when I just took small profits, smaller size, looking to have a string of positive days rather then up 1 day down the next. I started stringing runs together like 1-2 negative days out of 20. This is when things started to click again and I could make $$$. I had stopped trying to hit the ball out of the park and focused on making singles and focusing on not losing much when things were not going well.

I know this example below is simple but think about it!

Strategy 1
+$2,500 (Day 1) + $3,000 (Day 2) - $3,800 (Day 3) - $1,000 (Day 4) +$1,200 (Day 5) = +$1,900 for the week

Strategy 2
+$600 (Day 1) + $800(Day 2) - $100 (Day 3) + $200 (Day 4) +$500 (Day 5) = +$2,000 for the week

Although its not fun and exciting you make more in the second strategy... It was not until I realised and fully accepted this that I was able to then implement my change.

I'm not making as much as I used to but now I am making $$$ much more consistently and more importantly I was able to get out of my hole. Nothing feels better then doing that

+1
 
Quote from PropTraderMTL:

It really sounds like your trying to hit home runs. This is an awful strategy to come out of a hole. Trust me I have been there.... I got in a big hole... I would say I was about 25% responsible for it and the rest was a halt and I couldn't do anything about it.

Anyways, after getting in a big hole for the next 3-4 months I tried to really push it and make big trades. I really didn't make much back and was basically was just treading water and not making any progress.

For example I was easily making $2-4k a day but I wasn't being consistent and would lose 100% of what I made over 3 days in just one bad day. I would look back and go "wow if I just add up my positive days this month I would have made 25-30k" however then I include my bad days I would be up a couple of thousand if I was lucky.

The big change came when I just took small profits, smaller size, looking to have a string of positive days rather then up 1 day down the next. I started stringing runs together like 1-2 negative days out of 20. This is when things started to click again and I could make $$$. I had stopped trying to hit the ball out of the park and focused on making singles and focusing on not losing much when things were not going well.

I know this example below is simple but think about it!

Strategy 1
+$2,500 (Day 1) + $3,000 (Day 2) - $3,800 (Day 3) - $1,000 (Day 4) +$1,200 (Day 5) = +$1,900 for the week

Strategy 2
+$600 (Day 1) + $800(Day 2) - $100 (Day 3) + $200 (Day 4) +$500 (Day 5) = +$2,000 for the week

Although its not fun and exciting you make more in the second strategy... It was not until I realised and fully accepted this that I was able to then implement my change.

I'm not making as much as I used to but now I am making $$$ much more consistently and more importantly I was able to get out of my hole. Nothing feels better then doing that

Prop, appreciate the advice. I am looking at everything right now including trades that have gotten me to this point. Funny thing is, had I stuck to original trading plans, I would be up for the year.

I am trading too much size for what I am going through right now. It has always been a weakness of mine but also worked to my advantage in the past. Regardless, I have to change the approach. Forget about what could have been made and what has been lost and focus on what will get me back to green and importantly, build my confidence. Slow and steady, at this point it is all about the singles.
 
Quote from archimg77:

Agreed, it also took me some time to realize that ...

mastacoli71 has too big swings, I was doing the same thing win/loss : +/-15% per week.

You want to make 150k, it is 150%, you have 200 trading days (remainder holidays), you loose on 50 days max. 1% and you make 1-2% and you should get there.

You have to leverage down!

Leverage down I will. I never had to look at it like this in the past. I was so blinded by my success first 3 years of trading that I ignored the big PL swings cause I was always able to get it back.

All about the singles now.
 
Back in the saddle. First day of trading was on 3/1. Starting back slow trading 3 stocks intraday (F, FDX, FFIV) along with pairs. Got carried away a bit with F on Friday and ended up dropping 650 on it that day. Overall still a pretty decent week. Friday was a good day due to pairs that I put on at the beginning of the week. Got to keep telling myself it is all about the singles on the intraday trades.

The time off was good. I did not trade for 2 straight weeks. It allowed me to clear my head and get grounded again. Not sure how to explain it but I feel different when I am in a trade now. The stress of losing money is not there anymore. I am back to trading my system and having confidence in it.

Week ending 3/11/11
Daily Net P/L: +310, -193, -226, +2320
Week Net P/L: +2200 on 123,000 shares traded
 
Steady week for me. Feeling a lot better about my trading (although I had a flu/cold all week) then I have in a long time. I am sure volatility is helping matters but also the fact that I am staying disciplined, going for singles, and not letting losers get out of control.

Size I am trading is still relatively small compared to the past but the last 2 weeks results will allow me to size up some next week. Still going to take it slow and be very cautious. It's not a race.

I started trading a larger group of stocks based on predetermined criteria and also stopped trading F and FFIV. Amazingly my single stock intraday trading results improved dramatically. I am still doing pairs which are moving nicely now with the increased volatility. However, not going to let this fool me like it did before.

LOL, I just realized end of last week was not 3/11 but 3/4 so to keep the records straight my results for 3/4 are posted below.

Week ending 3/4/11
Daily Net P/L: +310, -193, -226, +2320
Week Net P/L: +2200 on 123,000 shares traded

Week ending 3/11/11
Daily Net P/L: -720, -50, +1950, +2690, +990
Week Net P/L: +4860 on 156000 shares traded
 
your annual goal is $150k

trading day in a year is about 250 days, may deduct some for holidays/vactions/sicks, how about 220days

that is about $730/day, actually that is ideal

I saw lots of your gains are above this level, and lots of your loss are above this level too

normally people will win at 80%time , at 20% time they may lose (inavoidable). if R/R is 1:2

0.8*220*2x-0.2*220*1x=150000, x or

then the winning day, you should net at least: $1200
and you losing day should not lose more than $600.

too wild swing in your gain and loss, that is not consistent in P/L.

I do not know what is your consistency concept. you mean your trading strategy? or your P/L

if it is your trading consistent strategy,P/L may post wild results. in another way, that means your strategy is not good or flawed since it did not produce what you want "you want a consistent P/L"?
 
Quote from mastacoli71:

Steady week for me. Feeling a lot better about my trading (although I had a flu/cold all week) then I have in a long time. I am sure volatility is helping matters but also the fact that I am staying disciplined, going for singles, and not letting losers get out of control.

Size I am trading is still relatively small compared to the past but the last 2 weeks results will allow me to size up some next week. Still going to take it slow and be very cautious. It's not a race.

I started trading a larger group of stocks based on predetermined criteria and also stopped trading F and FFIV. Amazingly my single stock intraday trading results improved dramatically. I am still doing pairs which are moving nicely now with the increased volatility. However, not going to let this fool me like it did before.

LOL, I just realized end of last week was not 3/11 but 3/4 so to keep the records straight my results for 3/4 are posted below.

Week ending 3/4/11
Daily Net P/L: +310, -193, -226, +2320
Week Net P/L: +2200 on 123,000 shares traded

Week ending 3/11/11
Daily Net P/L: -720, -50, +1950, +2690, +990
Week Net P/L: +4860 on 156000 shares traded

Nice job Mas. Keep managing the losers.
 
Quote from trader198:

your annual goal is $150k

trading day in a year is about 250 days, may deduct some for holidays/vactions/sicks, how about 220days

that is about $730/day, actually that is ideal

I saw lots of your gains are above this level, and lots of your loss are above this level too

normally people will win at 80%time , at 20% time they may lose (inavoidable). if R/R is 1:2

0.8*220*2x-0.2*220*1x=150000, x or

then the winning day, you should net at least: $1200
and you losing day should not lose more than $600.

too wild swing in your gain and loss, that is not consistent in P/L.

I do not know what is your consistency concept. you mean your trading strategy? or your P/L

if it is your trading consistent strategy,P/L may post wild results. in another way, that means your strategy is not good or flawed since it did not produce what you want "you want a consistent P/L"?

A consistent trading strategy will lead to a consistent P/L. However, I do not believe it is possible to be consistent in trading day after day because markets change, emotions get involved, etc....

In the past the wild P/L swings you mentioned above are what I am trying to minimize but I would only be fooling myself if I think one or two will not pop pop up here and there. The key for me is catching it before it gets out of hand like before.

If my trading strategy was flawed, I would not be trading anymore.
 
Quote from ElecEquity:

Nice job Mas. Keep managing the losers.

Thanks ElecEquity. First time in months I actually feel confident about my trading again. Managing the losers indeed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top