Ever "lose it" after a break from trading?

wartrace · Jul 14, 2016

I recently took a two week break from trading when I went on vacation. I came back and just didn't seem to be seeing the trades like I did. I attempted to trade and made some bonehead mistakes. I've been back on sim for this week since Monday morning (after two bad live trades in a row) trying to get back into it. I think I will be back live trading next Monday since today I was seeing "it" better today.

Next time I will not attempt to trade live after an extended break. I am thinking at least a day or two in sim would be a good idea in the future.

TradeCat · Jul 14, 2016

It's like sex. Use it or lose it.

Redneck · Jul 14, 2016

wartrace said:
took a break from trading

wartrace said:
sim would be a good idea

Always..., no exceptions

Absolute that we preform at the highest level

Impossible to go from zero to 100% in a blink of an eye

So to - it takes time to decompress

No shame in doing the right thing to prepare ourself - ever

RN

wrbtrader · Jul 14, 2016

wartrace said:
I recently took a two week break from trading when I went on vacation. I came back and just didn't seem to be seeing the trades like I did. I attempted to trade and made some bonehead mistakes. I've been back on sim for this week since Monday morning (after two bad live trades in a row) trying to get back into it. I think I will be back live trading next Monday since today I was seeing "it" better today.

Next time I will not attempt to trade live after an extended break. I am thinking at least a day or two in sim would be a good idea in the future.

Strongly agree...

Its not just a trading thing. That's why you see professional athletes have a brief "training camp" to get back into shape before the season starts. Heck, it's not even a sports thing.

Some jobs give employees (e.g. women returning back from maternity leave) a light work schedule for about a week to allow them to reacquaint with their job duties before they go full speed again.

lawrence-lugar · Jul 15, 2016

wartrace said:
I recently took a two week break from trading when I went on vacation.
I came back and just didn't seem to be seeing the trades like I did.

Trading is kind of a funny thing -- it's a very simple, yet also very complex thing at the same time.
Alot of excellent traders are in The Groove one period, then kind of gone or greatly diminished another

But in all seriousness,
if you find yourself blaming some divine forces for your trading inconsistencies or failures...then maybe you should take a long hard look in the mirror, at your strategy and self.

Handle123 · Jul 15, 2016

What I have always done, print out last twenty days of whatever you trade and even on vacations, each day look at five days of how you traded and really study the charts for twenty minutes, you be surprised how many new ideas this will spark. I found when I didn't do this, I would have brain fog, so what's twenty minutes to stay sharp when you come back.

Simples · Jul 15, 2016

Are you clear what you're trading, why it should work and what wouldn't work? Small losses is expected, so maybe you've really relaxed on holiday and not mentally prepared for harsh realities of markets? Can you spot wether markets have changed, or your trading have changed? If your trading has changed, how do you plan to retain your trading plan during holidays?

I always make a point to write down my trading ideas and plans, even if just in code. So there's no chance of losing anything, just discovering that my plan has holes and need to be reworked (actually, am right there now again :banghead:

). Your plan is perhaps perfect and will always do the right thing, however, markets often prove us wrong and we need to either stomach that or adapt.

wartrace · Jul 15, 2016

Simples said:
Are you clear what you're trading, why it should work and what wouldn't work? Small losses is expected, so maybe you've really relaxed on holiday and not mentally prepared for harsh realities of markets?

I know what the problem is. I trade the 6E using order flow on DOM/tape and footprint chart. I was just not seeing it like I normally do. It took a little time to get my brain to "click" back into seeing it.

Zestilio · Jul 15, 2016

Handle123 said:
What I have always done, print out last twenty days of whatever you trade and even on vacations, each day look at five days of how you traded and really study the charts for twenty minutes, you be surprised how many new ideas this will spark. I found when I didn't do this, I would have brain fog, so what's twenty minutes to stay sharp when you come back.

Well you know, it's still a vacation after all. Like I wouldn't want to spend even a minute of my hard-work earned rest in front of some more charts.

Handle123 · Jul 15, 2016

We all have different ways to live and work, given my day trading reduced to 75 minutes a day as a Scalper and now more forgetful than ever, just using twenty minutes a day, I am ready when I come back than wasting days of getting back in the groove ripping off what others throw to me.