My story........
Well wasn't really interested in becoming a trader at first. My father offered to train me but I was clueless about the market and that didn't sound like any fun.
Later on realized who my father was and what he was known for . I realized what the high end of traders can make and know I can work really hard to soon be at the top......
I start by reading "Market Wizards" by Jack Schwager. THis is how I realized what my father is. (he's the last chapter) I loved reading about traders and saw that they had a consistent edge. It convinced me that it is possible to trade and not gamble.
I ask my father than what to do.........
He suggested starting with the core of his work
I than did his Peak Performance Course. Which consists of 5 books and 4 cassette tapes. It usually takes over 3 months to do.
http://www.iitm.com/course/peak_performance_crse.htm
The benefits of this course were they get you to work on your internal issues. What you believe is what you trade. I started to see some of the common mistakes most traders/investors make. There are over 400 exercises in this course that get you to work on yourself. The key is to NEVER SKIP ANY OF THEM. The ones you want to skip are what you need to work on the most.
I than hopped onto a plane and got myself onto the floor of the CBOT. I started in the 30 year Bond Options Pit learning everything I can.
I made a commitment to myself that someday I'll be at a level where Jack Schwager would want to interview me for a book such as "Market Wizards"
I took a course in something called Photo reading. Which is a modified course in speed reading. I learned of an individual who used this process to read his entire library at his college and when he graduated knew more than his professors.
Wasn't sure if it worked or not but I try to always have an open mind. Decided to take a challenge and read EVERY single book in the CBOT library.
I would sit dowsn every day after the close and photo read 3 or 4 books that I would grab off the shelf each day. I think I finished the CBOT financial library in about 6 months.
I didn't do the process in photo reading known as activation though I just assumed the info was in my head.
I made arrangements with my firm that I'd like to attend De Paul's university trading program and have them pay for everything. They loved my enthusiasm but hated idea of that cost (a few grand). I argued and argued and during Christmas got a great bonus that payed for all the programs. So while reading all these books I used to walk in the dead of Winter a few blocks to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for their classes (college credit is offered for them). So I'm a graduate of the De Paul University Master Trading Program
(can't really recommend it though..........) but I am always willing to learn and have an open mind.
While this was going on I made arrangements with my firm to let me off early on Friday's once a month as I would hop onto a plane to fly to North Carolina and visit one of IITM's seminars about trading.
Peak Performance
Position Sizing
Wealth
Options
Intuition
Photoread
Intuition Part 2
A Stock Market Course
and a few others.......
It took me over 2 years but I am now a graduate of IITM's master trader program.
www.iitm.com
One of the great benefits of these seminars was that I was able to network with some absolutely incredible traders. Guys who have had extremely high and consistent returns. The networking definitely helped me out as other traders would give me new ideas which I'd use all the time.
OK now after a few months of being in the 30 Yr Option Pit. I could do option figures in my head like nothing. I understood Strangles, Straddles, Butterflys, Christmas Trees, Put Spreads, Call Spreads, What it takes to become delta neutral and what it takes to have an edge in options.
I had this gut feeling that options don't really fit me and that the real money is off the floor.
I got really interested in the outright contract and decided to move into the huge 30 YR T-Bond pit that holds over 500 traders.
I hooked up with a trader with the badge RRP. He had been in the pits for over 12 years and was well known in the pits.
It seems he got really emotional about his trades at times and even though he was slightly successful his emotions were holding him back.
I lent him my father's Peak Performance Course and watched him change right before my eyes. He went from a trader who would cuss and scream at everyone to someone who was very calm and controlled. He was one of the most amazing pit traders I've ever witnessed to date once he got in control of his emotions..
(wondering how long I can go into a post right now) hitting reply as I start on Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 now......
Robert Tharp