Hi All, Just throwing this out there. In an effort to remove distractions I did the following "hardware" improvements. I think no sane person would say having distractions helps any serious trader. 1) An LED multi-color Puck at the door way. When I am trading it is RED, not GREEN. Helps others to know when to leave me alone. 2) Headphones. I play the same soundtrack and get into the rhythm. Not being able to hear anything else is great for staying razor sharp in fast markets. Lastly, not so much hardware, but NO PETS allowed in the trading room. I love them but they are a distraction. Hope this might help those who suffer from inconsistency. Others around say they appreciate knowing when not to disturb, versus asking.
If all it takes for a remedy is to put a light at the door or let the dog out, they are not serious distractions. Unexpected events that are out of your control and throw you off balance emotionally are more serious. My reflexive thought used to be to take time off from trading during such periods. I no longer think that way. Trading can be a therapeutic break from dealing with real world distractions. In terms of the amount of focus and attention required, trading doesn’t require constant, razor-sharp focus. That gets fatiguing very quickly. For me it takes about as much focus and attention as driving from here to the strip in Las Vegas, about 6 hours. I can listen to music and hold light conversation with the person next to me; no trouble at all. To stay fresh, I usually stop and take a break half way in Barstow.
True. In fact trading is quite boring, you initiate the trade, place the stop (and target, if known in advance) and that's it. Seriously, how hard is that?
Some are removing distractions, i am adding one . I trade both EU and US session, which results in long days. I live on my own and specially now with Covid there is little room for other activities. I have bought a pool table for in my room in which i have my desk. I am not constantly actively trading so i just have to wait for prices to reach my predefined levels, once i am actually in a trade i set my stops and targets and leave it at that. So, in order to fill those hours i am now adding a pool table, a game i used to play semi professional years ago. Better than sitting the entire time and wasting my time on the internet all day. Besides pool i also spend a lot of time cooking, working in the garden, reading, playing guitar and drums, listening to music, swimming, working out, ... All while waiting for my trades to come up. I guess that's the advantage but also disadvantage of a semi automated system.
Not everyone uses the set-it-and-forget-it method. I know it’s popular with folks but so is getting marginal results. In any case, when I feel bored or complacent, I know it’s time for a break.
I should have added for "short term trades". I am usually done in about an hour or two at most. Doesn't everyone optimize for $/time/effort? But hey if you set and forget, or if your average trade is measured in hours or days, you probably want distractions! I would.
I usually just lock the door. That LED light itself would be distracting to me. I usually just switch to another windows profile where I have nothing installed except my trading software so that way I can't listen to or watch anything anyway when I am trading. And when I am trading, I am too busy watching the PA anyway so I can't listen to anything anyway. I have no pets.