Questions for experienced traders

[SeaHorseRacing]

I have some questions for traders in which I hope can not only be for my benefit but many others.

1.Firstly. Am I delusional? It is 11.20pm and I have only just shut down betangel and my PC for the day. I sit at my desk anywhere from 10 to 14 hours a day. Almost everyday. How many hours do you sit at your screens a day and if not as many how many when you was in your earlier trading years?

2. I noticed that Peter mentioned on his twitter account he recently just traded his 175,000 market. Congratulations that's insane!
How many markets did it take you until you became successful at your genre of market?

3. My desk is in a room at the other of my property. It's quite spacious and calm. However, bless her... my missus keeps entering for multiple reasons. Cup of tea or to tell me about something on the news. How do you set a rule with a pest?
I keep telling her but at the same time I don't want to hurt her feelings.

Would love to hear your views and answers to compare.

[Bluesky]

I am not an experienced trader so can't help you with the first two questions but I have some ideas about your 3rd question.

I think you need to sit down with your wife and explain to her you are not playing at trading, you are taking it deadly serious and that if it works out well it could set you both up financial for life.

You do however need to explain how difficult it is, and how few people succeed at it, tell her that it takes a lot of concentration to be successful and that little distractions can cost you a lot of money.

Tell her that when you are trading, for her to think of you as being in work, and not to disturb you unless its an absolute emergency.

One idea might be to have break times built in to your trading day, so that you and her can have time together over a coffee or a bite to eat. Set these break times out in a sort of time table so that you both know when they are.

I think you have read Adam Heathcotes blog, and if so you will have noticed that he started out trading an awful lot of hours everyday, but eventually it started to get to him and his health started to suffer. He cut down on the amount of hours he was trading, and it didn't seem to make much difference to his bottom line.

I don't think its a good idea to trade almost every waking hour you need to have a sensible schedule and stick to it for the sake of your physical and emotional health.

All the best for the future you sound like a guy that has a very high probability of doing well at this, just remember to keep some balance with respect to trading and spending time with your family.

[Crazyskier]

Automation is your friend if your strategies fit this. I'd explore it fully. I trade every day, but 95%+ is a bot, due to work commitments.

[spreadbetting]

1.Firstly. Am I delusional? It is 11.20pm and I have only just shut down betangel and my PC for the day. I sit at my desk anywhere from 10 to 14 hours a day. Almost everyday. How many hours do you sit at your screens a day and if not as many how many when you was in your earlier trading years?

Today I'll do around 4 hours and that suits me fine. I don't actually notice a massive drop in earnings despite there being less markets than the summer. Maybe I subconciously step up a gear , maybe more time to concentrate with less races coming at me thick and fast, or even simply because I can maintain my concentration better over shorter trading spans.

It's hard when you're starting off as you have so many ideas spinning around your head you want to try out. Eventually you'll find your niche and it becomes like any other job that you only think about it when 'working'. 10-14 hours a day would be far too draining for me though.

2. I noticed that Peter mentioned on his twitter account he recently just traded his 175,000 market. Congratulations that's insane!
How many markets did it take you until you became successful at your genre of market?

In the last three months I churned over 18,000 markets so best not say my lifetime total on Betfair . Thankfully most of my stuff is automated though.

Don't think there's any set number of markets to become successful , sometimes good ideas fall into your lap. I think it's more important you use any time available as efficiently as possible.Sticking money into the market isn't neccessarily a good way to learn as you just watch your money rather than the market and why it's moving the way it is. I think you need to watch the market and formulate your own idea why things happen and then test them out with cash, mixing and matching ideas all at once is just conterproductive to finding a consistent edge.

3. My desk is in a room at the other of my property. It's quite spacious and calm. However, bless her... my missus keeps entering for multiple reasons. Cup of tea or to tell me about something on the news. How do you set a rule with a pest?
I keep telling her but at the same time I don't want to hurt her feelings.

Would love to hear your views and answers to compare.

That's a hard one and you know her best so should know what'll work best. Even now after 10 years family will still chat away to me whilst I'm trading, I think you have to grow a thick skin and just be grumpy or ignore them , eventually they'll get the hint and at least reduce the interuptions.

[SeaHorseRacing]

Some great advice keep them coming. Thank you

[ShaunWhite]

3. My desk is in a room at the other of my property. It's quite spacious and calm. However, bless her... my missus keeps entering for multiple reasons. Cup of tea or to tell me about something on the news. How do you set a rule with a pest?
I keep telling her but at the same time I don't want to hurt her feelings.

1. My day is flexible but typically

11am Wake up
12am Daylight jobs home admin etc
1pm Afternoon trading
5pm Eat
6pm Evening trading (twice a week) or pottering
8pm Tv & relax
1am The other trading stuff (it's blissfully quiet and you can think)
4/5am Unwind/Bed


3.
When my son was at home the rule was that if the door was ajar he could come in, if it's closed ...it's closed. There's only certain times when you need 100% focus so it's nice to have a way to tell them you're interuptable, especially if they come with a cuppa during a break in the action.

It also helps to make them sit and watch what you do for a while, they'll soon realise it's pretty intense.

Personally I've never had any real issue with this since my lad moved out because my missus is a poker player and knows focus = profit.