My question is, if you were starting out now, how would you proceed?
Obviously I am reading everything I can get my hands on. I am also picking up a lot from this site.
What things, looking back in hindsight, have helped you the most? What was a waste of time?
Obviously you say you have some experience, but taking your questions at face value... I've thought about this a lot and one of the problems is that the evolution of a trader is so individualized, and not only by their own personality and proclivities. You are where you are at any point because you read such-and-such first and then this and then that. Followed by this. And that. And so on until at sometime finally you said "Hey!" - light bulb somewhere! So you reread that and it resonated w/something you read before, so you went back and you studied this some more, and it, or something, led you somewhere else, but it was bullshit, so you moved on yet again or went back again until something somewhere hit another chord and you went "Ohhhh yeah, now I see how that thingamawhatzit fits w/this thingamawhozit!" And that takes you down yet another path, which may finally be starting to lead to a viable destination...
Even if you and I read all the same books, your journey will be very different than mine. I can tell you I don't care for oscillators or Gann or Trading-by-Phases-of-the-Moon, but fact is there are successful, intelligent traders utilizing these techniques. You have to find your own way.
Crimeny, so what am I trying to say here, practically? First, I think you have to have an informed overall picture of TA (assuming you're trading by TA.) A great deal of learning TA has to be "TA 101", just like college. First, learn everything, well, not everything, but enough to get an Overall Grasp, a general picture. Then you're able to pick and choose, discard what you don't need. For me, even the stuff I don't use helps me understand that which I do practice. Build yourself a big lovely overgrown garden of TA and then weed, weed. And nurse that which remains.
And then of course, that's just the basics of the basics. You've got psychology and money management and actual trading - one thing you'll learn is that TA (analysis) and Trading (execution) are two different animals. It can be a hard lesson.
As for 101, not to be unoriginal but I say start w/Murphy and/or E&M, or any other comprehensive TA work rec'd on this board by knowledgable traders. Personally I would be remiss if I did not rec the SMI-Wyckoff course. But only after one has studied the basics and decided that Wyckoff is the way to go. Everybody's mileage will differ.
Harold