Succesful Trading with a Demanding Family (+shouting puppy dog)

Adam

Some of this is trading-specific and some is general ramblings about time-management, hopefully some of it will help!

Trading-wise, my solution to this was to learn how to program and automate everything so I didn't have to sit in front of the screen. Hardly a quick-win solution! But like Ryan says, if we can make any of that stuff available to members then we will.

You also have to compartmentalise your time IMO. If you've arranged to spend time with your family then be present with them when you're there. Don't forget why you're trading in the first place - it's probably got more to do with the life you could have away from the computer screen than in front of it! You'll probably feel like you're missing out on opportunities by being present and not checking your phone all the time, but you will be happier trust me!

When we had our son, I essentially didn't sleep for a year (did every night shift and it took bloody ages for him to sleep through) and had to try and get on with life in the meantime. That made me think a lot about my energy, productivity and how to get the most out of my days. I ended up completely changing my diet, ditching sugar and I now have enough energy to get up at 4am every day and get some stuff done hours before anyone else wakes up. When Callum does wake up I'm also fully awake and ready to engage with him rather than pissing about on my phone!

Richard Latimer

@john-folan said in Succesful Trading with a Demanding Family (+shouting puppy dog):

Bollocks to family. They are all annoying. My dad once said ‘if you ever want to have money don’t get married and have kids’. At the time I was not impressed. Now I consider him the wisest man I ever knew

I'll find this under.....how helpful haha!!

John Folan

Bollocks to family. They are all annoying. My dad once said ‘if you ever want to have money don’t get married and have kids’. At the time I was not impressed. Now I consider him the wisest man I ever knew

Richard Latimer

@kenneth-glossop said in Succesful Trading with a Demanding Family (+shouting puppy dog):

Yep very good point. If you can’t focus properly don’t trade. I try and look at the matches that are on late after my kids are asleep.

So after 09:00 then the dirty stop ups haha!! (mine that is)

Richard Latimer

@luke-ridger said in Succesful Trading with a Demanding Family (+shouting puppy dog):

Personally, and to take this from someone who has lost his family (trading a reason apparently) devote as much time to your family and wife has possible. Trading will always be here, family time is hugely important, also explain to your wife your objective, why you spend so much time doing it and what the end goal is, atleast let her see that it is for a better quality of life etc, ultimately don't make it a them vs trading situation, i don't have many regrets but one is i poured too much time into trading, mainly because i had so much momentum, an older,wiser me would rather dedicate a set amount of time. Hope it helps.

Thanks, sorry to hear that. Good advice.

? Offline

Yep very good point. If you can’t focus properly don’t trade. I try and look at the matches that are on late after my kids are asleep.

Luke Ridger

Personally, and to take this from someone who has lost his family (trading a reason apparently) devote as much time to your family and wife has possible. Trading will always be here, family time is hugely important, also explain to your wife your objective, why you spend so much time doing it and what the end goal is, atleast let her see that it is for a better quality of life etc, ultimately don't make it a them vs trading situation, i don't have many regrets but one is i poured too much time into trading, mainly because i had so much momentum, an older,wiser me would rather dedicate a set amount of time. Hope it helps.

Richard Latimer

@ryan-carruthers said in Succesful Trading with a Demanding Family (+shouting puppy dog):

@richard-latimer yep If they aren't going to be any good then I don't bother trading at all.

I will read around the subject, read through the posts on here etc...

Thanks, this is good to hear.

I'm thinking about drawing up a rule sheet almost with two headings side by side.

Acceptable times to trade/Non acceptable times to trade.

Involve the wife, come to a mutual agreement which is flexible enough to be acceptable to all parties.

Ryan

@richard-latimer yep If they aren't going to be any good then I don't bother trading at all.

I will read around the subject, read through the posts on here etc...

Big fan of the BFBM thread here as well as this is something which I think is going to be huge over the next few years for trading, automation.

Automation is one thing I think will get bigger and bigger, we have plans to release the horse racing software and then we want a back testing engine - we are hiring a developer as well so this will speed these things up as well. From here you then will have data to load into an automated bot so it really will be a morning set up

Richard Latimer

@ryan-carruthers said in Succesful Trading with a Demanding Family (+shouting puppy dog):

I think this is an excellent post, I don't have a wife (yet, I will this week) or small children.

I met my partner after I was already a trader - she knows its my job effectively but I set aside time to trade and that's it for me. When I am not trading its away from it, unless we are just sort of sat on the sofa then I will use an app and just keep an eye on the trades but these are mostly just HT LTD types which can be done very quick and there isn't many.

For me my days are about getting the research done in the morning, then I basically have a list and I will trade the top ones, usually 2/3 trades a day - I will say to the misses ok I need to trade for some time today at this time, what do you want to get done today? Let's do it around the trades. Then when I am with her its 100% focus on that and same with trading - most of my main trading comes in the week during the day when the tennis is on though. Football will be 2/3 games during each day on the weekend - which is a bit easier for people to handle, but if there's something special on (party, family gathering) I just won't do the trades, there is no point missing something just to trade - so much more to life than trading.

So if the top 2-3 games you plan on trading don't give you the opportunity you need you just let it go and move on to the next day?

Ryan

I think this is an excellent post, I don't have a wife (yet, I will this week) or small children.

I met my partner after I was already a trader - she knows its my job effectively but I set aside time to trade and that's it for me. When I am not trading its away from it, unless we are just sort of sat on the sofa then I will use an app and just keep an eye on the trades but these are mostly just HT LTD types which can be done very quick and there isn't many.

For me my days are about getting the research done in the morning, then I basically have a list and I will trade the top ones, usually 2/3 trades a day - I will say to the misses ok I need to trade for some time today at this time, what do you want to get done today? Let's do it around the trades. Then when I am with her its 100% focus on that and same with trading - most of my main trading comes in the week during the day when the tennis is on though. Football will be 2/3 games during each day on the weekend - which is a bit easier for people to handle, but if there's something special on (party, family gathering) I just won't do the trades, there is no point missing something just to trade - so much more to life than trading.

Richard Latimer

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