The older I get , the more I believe that learning how to trade the markets is one of the deepest processes of self discovery that a person can take on. This is of course provided that the person is highly motivated to understanding the art of trading and has satisfactory introspection and flexibility to learn understand develop and grow.
In the timeline of trying to learn to be a good trader, I think that you are going to have to discover and develop your own personal approach and style. By the word "style" don't think I am saying something weird like "a trader who trades what they see". I think this is a pretty hollow description, and not much better than saying your life's motto is "trying to be a good guy and do the correct thing". It has to be more specific than that. Here's what I mean.
When you sit down and look at yourself as a trader, you can evaluate the following when determining your trading style:
First, the quantity. How many positions or markets are you planning on trading simultaneously? One? Three? Dozens?
Second, what is the basis of the trade. What are you using to make a decision about your positions? Is it a counter trend approach - a trending approach? Are you incorporating support and resistance? Divergence? What is the basis of your trading style?
Third, what type of trading frequency are you going to use in your trading style? Are you planning on entering and exiting positions 1,2, or 12 or 100 times a day?
Fourth, when understanding your trading style you should evaluate if you have a bias. I believe that most people I've come across have a buyers bias - they are bulls - despite the fact that they say they are neutral. I know now after many years that I am a bearish bias person. My trading style incorporates that bias and makes trading less stressful for me as a result.
Finally - what security will you trade? Do you like the e-minis? Stocks? Blue Chips or Penny? Do you like the Forex market movement - if so, which pairs? What about commodities like oil, gold, or wheat? Maybe binary options? Have you looked at all of these for a time to determine which markets you feel most comfortable in? Your trading style has a lot to do with what markets you're trading.
Understanding your trading style, and giving yourself permission to have this dialog with yourself and ask these questions at all, is a critical function of success. It's better to ask them now, than have to loop around after a blown account or two and realize that you should have determined this beforehand.
