My journey journal...from demo to live...and beyond

[MikeWolski]

Hi Journal.
Well, I just wanted to check in with you, and let you know what has happened lately.
Let’s see…the latest. Well, last night, I had the talk. With the man responsible for heading up of the prospects for their program. And it went very well! (I think I mentioned it already, but, they are not just accepting anyone. They want serious people. And they want those who are willing to put in the work. Who are committed to building themselves up to become an honest-to-goodness entrepreneurial trader).
We talked for an hour and a half. And I gave him all I got (my past, present, and future aspirations). He agrees that it’s not a question of whether trading is for me or not. I think he understands that this trading business is my life.
Bottom line, from the conversation, is that we are gonna be very good friends, for a long time to come. Bottom line…I’m gonna get the help that I need, want. I will be the pupil. And I plan on taking all of this stuff in like it’s the air that I breathe. I need taught! Oh, and I even got out of him a sort of a promise. He said that at the end of the program, I will have received everything that I need in order to become a successful entrepreneurial trader.
This small team of people are traders. That’s how they make their money. They are not in it for the supplemental income. It’s not even that much! But this guy I talked to…he’s excited. Oh, that’s right, I remember what he said. He said he does this because it helps him out also. (Remember when I said that we will never be done with the learning aspect?) Yeah, he is very excited to see how I will develop. He said that I seem to be very pliable, moldable. Cause it took him 7 yrs to get to this point, and he brought a lot of garbage to the table when he first started in the program. So therefore he had to strip himself of the bad habits he incurred along the way. And I was telling him that that’s where I have been at lately. I have gotten to the point now where I am broken. The walls have come down. Everything that I thought might have worked didn’t work. I did swear that I would not go back into the market until I felt I was really ready. I have realized that I cannot teach myself, I must be taught. And not only that, but must be taught from the right person (or people), with much experience and success. That only makes sense to me.
But, you know, there’s one thing that will absolutely never leave me (cause I cannot deny myself) and that would be my dream. To build my business. My successful, ever growing trading business. Cause (within my business) there’s nothing that I enjoy more than; understanding the markets, being a part of the transactions that take place there, seeing the relationships of all of the instruments, watching the money flows, understanding where investors are putting their hard earned money throughout the world. There is nothing more fascinating to me!! I love macroeconomics!!
Ok Mike, settle down.
Anyway.
This program is gonna go down for me. I’m all in. I’m going to learn. This is going down sometime at the end of October, beginning of November. There’s a 3 week process starting then. And then after that a 6 week process. I surely will be involved in both of those 2 programs. And my friend said that in the meantime he will talk to the boss in order to give me some things to keep me occupied until then. (Cause he knows I’m just itching to sink my teeth into something!)
Hang with me Journal. This is gonna take some time. And don’t worry…you are going to witness greatness coming from this guy.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal.
Well I figured I’d come on in here and say a few things. I know it’s been a couple of weeks since.
What have I been up to lately?
Man…well, it’s been killing me waiting for the program to begin. I’ve been so used to putting my hand to something. Regarding my trading business. Whether running some daily numbers, figuring out a strategy, etc.
Now, really nothing. Well, I guess I have been doing some stuff.
I hopped on the SBA site. (Small Business Administration) And I was following all of the steps of writing out a business plan. I figured it would be good to approach the trading plan from the business aspect. And maybe, since you have to be very detailed on how your business operates, I could come up with some details of a strategy and the whole operation of it all. That was my original idea. Yeah, well, I got through some of the steps, and just recently jumped on out of it. For whatever reasons, I got uninterested. Sure, I did learn some things about the industry. That’s because it forced me to do some heavy research. I was on the SEC website much. Whenever you embark on such a feat as a writing out the business plan, you need to know the industry pretty good. And for me that would be the financial services industry. Then more specifically retail trading. But then you have to explain the whole day trading part of it. But see, I’m not at that stage yet. I have to work my way up to that. I guess the whole capital building stage would need to be explained, and then up to the goal of becoming the sole proprietary of your trading business. Needless to say, that whole thing is gonna take a lot of time to do.
I’m not done with it. But will revisit it at a later time.
Well, I did get an email today with some homework to do for this program that will start on Nov. 1st.
I will come back and clue you in on what I will be doing for the next two weeks leading up to that.

Some good stuff coming my way.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal.
You know…I’ve been thinking about this. I think I just might attempt to do something that probably has never been done before. Here.
See, this is my Journal. And I make it personal. I mean, I don’t think anyone (other than BP’s of course) can prevent me from journaling whatever I want. And where I am at right now, I think I just might do this. Look, I am aware that there are onlookers to my sight here. And to be honest, the reason why I journalize my journey is for me. Cause it helps me in many ways. So…should I have a consideration to who looks at what I write, and what my content could or shouldn’t be? My answer is definitely a ‘no’. All this is for me.
Given all that giberish…this is my idea. (And I really want to do this)
As you know, I am about to start a program. It costs some money. I am going to pay to get learned…on how to become a trader. I fully believe that this material will undoubtedly get me to where I want to be, and become. (Of course it all depends on how much effort I put into it). So, what I am going to study and learn…I want to document it all here. I want to see how far it will take me. I mean, if it was my original plan to document my entire journey from novice to expert (which always has been the case in here), then why not go all the way with it. And that being, putting it out here, in my site, all that I learn. Even if it’s material that I pay for. Look, I (in a million years) never ever thought that I would do this. So this is uncharted territory for me. And I don’t really care who see’s this stuff or not. I just hope that the source of the material won’t mind. That’s all. To be honest about it, I have, on a couple occasions, mentioned to them that if they really want to get to know me, they should go on BabyPips and read my journal. I told them that it would take about 5 hrs in total to go through everything I journalized. (I know, because that’s how long it took me from beginning to the end so far). And I really don’t think anyone there has done that, for whatever reason. I guess I’m glad, because now, I’m going to basically spill the beans. And I don’t even care if other people will possibly learn what I learn. All I am concerned with is this. I want documented proof of my journey, from a newbie all the way up to expert. A business that started in infancy to a thriving one. I want to look back at these times that I had a full time job, and made the transition to a full time independently operating trading business. Cause I know without a shadow of doubt, where I am going. And I want it all documented. Oh, also, for other newbies out
there to see that it is possible to achieve.
Anyway, that’s nice.
On the next posts comes some learning. I’m gonna throw out what stuff I have to go through now.
https://dl-mail.ymail.com/ws/download/mailboxes/@.id==VjJ-PrxDukRz-YmkKLpTuPS2Hk8zHt0bSuz3GwqlkobzQi2T8aEx0cdKAiPTtl5RzsZuGl2LEeEb8L4Fd0GBJs5fOA/messages/@.id==AGx2w0MAEFiEWARTsgJ40HjV0Ik/content/all?archive=Attachments_20161018.zip&appid=YahooMailNeo&token=YFUaQi2EnW6a9EPZcNBp7gE3itI8xGtlxTC9U6O9EKgbim-vDQGL2TJjZ0SNVED2BLGyhIOkferk3ebR2iBq4zCjSaiGaG-8k02GwV-kf1rhBLnz2bZQufgc5_eQwIX-&ymreqid=135703ed-8096-38cc-01fc-0e0014010000

Mike

P.S. There’s 4 attachments there. Hope it all can be seen. I will be expounding on some of that stuff in the posts to come.

[MikeWolski]

Hi Journal.
Well, I have a couple of prerequisites that I need to do before my first meeting. For Nov. 1st.
First, I should be learning my way around ‘Mind Mapping’. This is one of their biggest tools. So I have been practicing this technique. Let’s see if I can explain what this is. It’s a tool. A method. On paper. Also as a computer program. It’s a visual way of organizing, structuring, figuring out stuff. It’s like this. Say I have a piece of paper. In the middle of it will go the central theme. Then there will be tangents drawn away from that theme. And within those subtitles will be more subtitles. The idea is to get down on paper (or on the computer screen) a visually helpful way to either remember stuff, or even to figure out stuff. Also it can be a good way to have things organized in a way to be very helpful to yourself. So, I do have some stuff started already. The first title I did was ‘My business plan’. Cause that’s what I left off doing lately. So I just got it down, only what I accomplished so far. Then I started ‘My trading strategy’. Of course it’s not complete. And one more topic I started. ‘My journey to starting my trading business’. All of this is not completed, but it gave me some good practice with the computer program.
So…ok…that’s nice. I’ll be using that tool in the days to come.
The other prerequisite is a book. I ordered it. It came. And I was like…ok, this is nice. Well, I better get to reading it. It’s called ‘One small step can change your life’ ‘the Kaizen way’, by Robert Maurer, Ph. D.
Absolutely no expectations for this. But once I got to reading it…Oh man…this is so true. This is gonna change my life. I wrote down many notes on it already. And I’m only on the first chapter. Here are some of my notes.
Kaizen = Japanese word for ‘small steps for continual improvement’.
Low-key change helps the human mind circumnavigate the fear that blocks success and creativity.
Matering small steps of change in a safe, nonthreatening environment.
The Kaizen approach is a highly effective method of building new neural connections in the brain.
Change is frightening. This human fact is unavoidable. This fear of change is rooted in the brain’s physiology, and when fear takes hold, it can prevent creativity, change, and success.
The brain is designed so that any new challenge of opportunity or desire triggers some degree of fear.
The amygdala alerts part of the body to prepare for action-and our access to the cortex is restricted, and sometimes shut down.
Large Goal —fear—access to cortex restricted—failure.
Small Goal —fear bypassed—cortex engaged—success.
Your brain is programmed to resist change. But, by taking small steps, you effectively rewire your nervous system so that is does the following: ‘unsticks’ you from a creative block///bypasses the fight-or-flight response////creates new connections between neurons so that the brain enthusiastically takes over the process of change and you progress rapidly toward your goal.

This is speaking to me big time. See, I know that I am a ‘all or nothing’ kind of person. When I do something, it’s all the way. Big. But I realize now how important it is to go slow. I mean, I even see this when I read stuff. I have a tendency to forget what I read. It’s because I don’t read slowly. My brain doesn’t take the time to digest, ponder, and really get whatever I read. The whole go slow, with small steps means very much to me personally. In fact, I know that I can do pretty much anything I want to. And this feat of becoming a very successful business owner, trading securities, is not an easy task. Therefore, now I know, that I am, without fail, going to achieve this. And now I know how…
ONE STEP AT A TIME.
That’s what this book is all about. One small step at a time. I’ve always known that I need to slow down. I even see it in my children. This trait.

Anyway, I got to run.
More to come on this subject.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hi Journal.
Well, I have a couple of prerequisites that I need to do before my first meeting. For Nov. 1st.
First, I should be learning my way around ‘Mind Mapping’. This is one of their biggest tools. So I have been practicing this technique. Let’s see if I can explain what this is. It’s a tool. A method. On paper. Also as a computer program. It’s a visual way of organizing, structuring, figuring out stuff. It’s like this. Say I have a piece of paper. In the middle of it will go the central theme. Then there will be tangents drawn away from that theme. And within those subtitles will be more subtitles. The idea is to get down on paper (or on the computer screen) a visually helpful way to either remember stuff, or even to figure out stuff. Also it can be a good way to have things organized in a way to be very helpful to yourself. So, I do have some stuff started already. The first title I did was ‘My business plan’. Cause that’s what I left off doing lately. So I just got it down, only what I accomplished so far. Then I started ‘My trading strategy’. Of course it’s not complete. And one more topic I started. ‘My journey to starting my trading business’. All of this is not completed, but it gave me some good practice with the computer program.
So…ok…that’s nice. I’ll be using that tool in the days to come.
The other prerequisite is a book. I ordered it. It came. And I was like…ok, this is nice. Well, I better get to reading it. It’s called ‘One small step can change your life’ ‘the Kaizen way’, by Robert Maurer, Ph. D.
Absolutely no expectations for this. But once I got to reading it…Oh man…this is so true. This is gonna change my life. I wrote down many notes on it already. And I’m only on the first chapter. Here are some of my notes.
Kaizen = Japanese word for ‘small steps for continual improvement’.
Low-key change helps the human mind circumnavigate the fear that blocks success and creativity.
Mastering small steps of change in a safe, nonthreatening environment.
The Kaizen approach is a highly effective method of building new neural connections in the brain.
Change is frightening. This human fact is unavoidable. This fear of change is rooted in the brain’s physiology, and when fear takes hold, it can prevent creativity, change, and success.
The brain is designed so that any new challenge of opportunity or desire triggers some degree of fear.
The amygdala alerts part of the body to prepare for action-and our access to the cortex is restricted, and sometimes shut down.
Large Goal —fear—access to cortex restricted—failure.
Small Goal —fear bypassed—cortex engaged—success.
Your brain is programmed to resist change. But, by taking small steps, you effectively rewire your nervous system so that is does the following: ‘unsticks’ you from a creative block///bypasses the fight-or-flight response////creates new connections between neurons so that the brain enthusiastically takes over the process of change and you progress rapidly toward your goal.

This is speaking to me big time. See, I know that I am a ‘all or nothing’ kind of person. When I do something, it’s all the way. Big. But I realize now how important it is to go slow. I mean, I even see this when I read stuff. I have a tendency to forget what I read. It’s because I don’t read slowly. My brain doesn’t take the time to digest, ponder, and really get whatever I read. The whole go slow, with small steps means very much to me personally. In fact, I know that I can do pretty much anything I want to. And this feat of becoming a very successful business owner, trading securities, is not an easy task. Therefore, now I know, that I am, without fail, going to achieve this. And now I know how…
ONE STEP AT A TIME.
That’s what this book is all about. One small step at a time. I’ve always known that I need to slow down. I even see it in my children. This trait.

Anyway, I got to run.
More to come on this subject.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal.
Recapping what I’ve been reading.
The entire point of this book is ‘SMALL’. And it all makes sense. For any kind of real change in a person, going about it slowly is the way. It’s how our brains can really accomplish something.
–Ask yourself small questions. By asking small questions of yourself, you lay the groundwork for a personalized program for change. Your brain loves questions. You need to program your brain for creativity.
–Think small thoughts. ‘Mind Sculpture’ takes advantage of cutting edge neuroscience, which suggests that the brain learns best, not in large dramatic doses, but in very small increments, smaller than ever believed possible.
–Take small actions. Small actions are at the heart of Kaizen. By taking steps so tiny that they seem trivial or even laughable, you’ll sail calmly past obstacles that have defeated you before. Slowly-but painlessly- you’ll cultivate an appetite for continued success and lay down a permanent new route to change.

So, as I have been pondering all of this stuff throughout my days, something just bothers me. I guess I always pose this question to myself, on a daily basis, no lie. How am I building my business today? I am a man of purpose. I want to be productive. Always. And believe it or not I still wake up at 2:30am every morning. Out of the shower and sitting down by 3. If I am not being productive on my journey to building my business, I get upset with myself. (Like when the times I tend to fall asleep around 5 for a few minutes before work) So, lately, all I’ve been doing is reading. Reading general stuff like this. How does this stuff relate to my business development? Am I constructively building my trading business? I mean, sure, who shouldn’t be trying to better themselves as a person, companion, person of society?
That’s what this stuff seems to be. Being able to change something about yourself that’s not good. An obstacle and so forth…(Losing weight, how you treat people etc…)
So, lately, I’ve been wondering if I am really bettering myself as a: trader, business owner, economist.
Initially it doesn’t seem so.
But, what I’m going to do is this. Since all this stuff I’m learning now is headed under ‘CORE TRADER SKILLS’, then I must be patient. And when the specific trading stuff comes, I need to [B]apply[/B] all of this mental stuff to it.
That’s where I’m at now. I guess I need to take it slow and be patient.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hi Journal!
Well, you never hear from me at about this time of day. I’m at work. (Kinda slow at the moment)
But anyway, I will be leaving early today (only one hour earlier than normal), in like one hour from now. Because I have the first meeting with this program.
I am nervous. And I am prepared. Read that one book. And got some practice with Mind Mapping.
So, it’s on. This meeting is a webinar. I never did one of those. (I’m old school, what can I say.) But, it’s supposed to be for an hour and a half. I will make sure I’m sitting down and ready to do this come time. I have no idea what to expect.
In any case, your definitely gonna get the low down on what I’m getting into.

So…Journal…see ya on the other side.

Mike

(Man I hope I’m not blowing this all out of proportion…expectations running)
(Let’s just see what happens)

[MikeWolski]

Hi Journal.
Well, it’s the morning after. I got through it. My reaction?
It went almost 2 hrs. And when I was done…my head was spinning! This is deep stuff. And I’m trying to get it. I definitely have to digest the content. I took so many notes. I guess my place here is where I will try to sort it all out.
So…man…do I mention names? I don’t know if I could get into trouble. But…I love these guys. Ok.
T.L. is the primary guy here. He’s a very, very old guy. He is the moderator. He has had so much experience teaching traders. He’s like a grandfather. And the nicest guy you would ever meet. And you can tell…he knows what a trader should be like. I mean, to me, it’s like, he embodies all the characteristics of a smart, experienced, down to earth human being. See, I’ve always highly revered old people. They just know stuff!!!
I couldn’t have picked a more knowledged person to learn from. And we have PP. The guy I talked to before.
He’s a great guy. In his prime. Soft spoken. Their both humble people.
So PP starts the whole thing, throws out all the small stuff, introductions about the class, and administration stuff. Then hands it off to T.L. He talks a lot. We are all looking at some good screen shots of material. We can always chime in with a question (by typing it in) if we wanted to. But basically I’m taking notes of the stuff and listening very intently as he talks.
The material. Well, this is what it is. This is a workshop. Core Trader Skills.
We talked about what a Pro is. One who functions according to his set of ‘Pro’ habits.
How do I become a professional? By discarding your ‘amateur’ habits and developing Pro habits.
(I have some incomplete notes, but this is the best I can do for now) (I’m trying to get a transcript of it)
A real life Pro has a toolset.
‘Many start…Few finish…fewer win’. Good quote. So, that means it’s just not enough to begin something. It’s following all the way through. Not only to the finish line, but winning. And it’s a never ending journey.
Ask why 5 times! Don’t accept the first answer.
What is my learning style? How do I capitalize on it to achieve my goals?
There’s a reactive trader. And a responsive trader.
Responsive trader = Has an insatiable desire to achieve. Know’s why he trades. Has defined goals, objectives, and plans. Thinks in probabilities and approximates. Continually refines his performance.
Trades strategically and defensively. Continually raises all of the bars.
Pro Mindset. It’s a way of thinking.
There’s a ‘fixed mindset’. One who thinks they learned it all.
There’s a ‘growth mindset’. One who can always improve. And that comes from hard work. Am I still learning?
It all starts with BELIEF. Belief produces thoughts. Thoughts produces Actions. Actions produces Results.
Mindset + Skillset + Performance = Success.
This is T.L. favorite saying. “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something”.

Man…I’m out of time now. I’m gonna come back in a little bit to throw out there what my homework is.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal.
I don’t have much time, but this is what I got.
To be honest about it, I kind of was left with a little bit of confusion. See, this is what I know.
I’m supposed to be doing some mind mapping. This is the tool that we will be using a lot of. And our homework is this. To pick one of three subjects to mind map. Either ‘learning’, ‘practicing’, or ‘improving’.
We did spend much time together going through the subject of learning. There’s questions we must try to answer. Like ‘How do I learn?’. We need to map out – what are the skills, in detail, of learning. --Answer why it’s a core skill. —What is my current rating, of how I learn. and what’s my projected rating of learning. —What will I do to gap of where I’m at now to where I want to be —What are the key step and committed actions I will take —What is the defined payoff.
Well, I think I will make a call and get some more defined direction on this subject (or with at least one of the three subjects).

Sorry I can’t be any more specific. But that’s the extent of what I know to do.
I will get to the bottom of it.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Journal.
Ok. So, things are becoming more clearer for me. I talked to TL last night, (he reached out to me).
I guess from the top down, it’s this. As I mentioned already, Mind Maps is the tool we are going to use.
I’ve been practicing. Done quite a few already. And what I got to do is start putting them in here. This would be the best place to track them all. (I just need to figure out the way to do it)
In any case, Mind Mapping is such a crucial tool. The benefits are pretty incredible. For one, it’s good for memories. I can always look back on a subject, get the snap shot, and treat it as an album. Another benefit, like the one we’re using now, is for the purpose of building a framework. It’s like a visual aid in building a plan, or a mapping out a course of action. And we are being told to try it out on even the most trivial of subjects. For instance, this past weekend we took a 2 night, 3 day trip to a zoo, kind of far away. What an opportunity to MM this! And I sure did. I’m gonna try to get it here now.

Let’s see if this comes up.

[MikeWolski]

Ok. Well, it is there. Can’t see much of it, but I think I got it.
Anyway…right now, we are all working on one particular MM. The subject is LEARNING. And now I understand it. See, we (I) need to know what’s the best way that I learn. There are different ways that are possible to learn. Some are more visual, hands on, audible, etc…And so, TL asked me last night…‘Mike…what is the best way that you learn?’ And it hit me! I best learn by writing/typing. It’s the physical act of me jotting down what I want learn, seeing it through my eyes as it hits the paper/screen, thinking of it, and being able to go back to it. I even told him that I love journaling. I write stuff down that is important. See, this is important for me to understand, about myself. Cause if I’m going to have to learn how to…become a trader, become a business owner, develop effective routines…I need to understand myself first.
Ok, that’s nice. Here’s my second rough draft of my ‘learning MM’. It’s not done. And it will continually be developing it.

Be back.

[MikeWolski]

So…as I look at it. Learning is the subject. The top right ‘writing/typing’ answers the question of HOW I learn.
To the right is answering the question of ‘why do I learn’. To achieve my goals. ‘what goals?’ The subtopics there are ‘my trading business’, ‘professional trader’, ‘completely self-supported’. Bottom right addresses ‘where am I at presently, and where do I want to end’. (1,10) Bottom left is the gap between where I am at now to where I want to end up. What’s the plan of action to bridge the gap. And presently the course of action is learning about my learning. (Seems kind of weird and cheesy, but oh well).
Left is the ‘who’ am I learning from. And top left is what my final outcome will be. What’s the result that I want to get from learning.
So, this is progression in progress. I’m sure it will be redone. But this is what I got so far. For instance, at the top left is what the outcome will be. Someday I can enter a date of when I have completed…my business plan, trading plan, and routines. So, from clockwise around the clock, I should have known ways of [B]how[/B] am I going to learn. [B]What[/B] am I going to learn. [B]Where[/B] am I at now, on the road.
[B]What[/B] is the course of action. [B]Who[/B] am I learning from. [B]When[/B] have I arrived.

That’s the idea anyway.

I’m gonna have to come up with some clearer maps.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal.
Well, I really don’t have much time, at the moment. I’ve gone through module 02, the transcript from last Tuesday’s webinar meeting. There’s so much stuff he throws out there I just cannot get it down on paper until I go through it again. That’s what I did this morning. Soooooo much information!
But for now I just want to through out his mind map on ‘learning and practicing’. It’s a gem.

I got so much more stuff to get down in here.
It will be a good weekend for this.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Journal…got a little bit more time now.
I want to note what I’ve been thinking, as I went through the webinar this morning.
There is absolutely so much information given to us, that it kind of gets overwhelming to me sometimes. He goes through slides and the topics that he covers. There are so many good quotes he shows also. And it’s like, there’s no way I can take it all in during the time that we have then. So, thank God I can go back and continually stop, rewind the tape, write, think about the material. And I got to thinking about it. You know…this has to be the best thing I have ever spent money on. Including books that I buy. It’s the specific material, the amount of it, and from whom it comes from, that I like about this. Cause I can always to back to it and learn something more by reviewing it in the future. Plainly put, I am so very thankful for this course.
Ok…yeah…that’s nice.
This is some overview of what we are learning. So, we have pretty much moved on from the topic of learning/practicing. We got a picture of what a good mind map for that looks like.
For me, I’m finally getting more comfortable with what’s the purpose of a mind map. And also how to do it. See, this is the bottom line, on this. (He showed us this quote so many times, and now I know why)
“I had six honest serving men who taught me all I knew, they’re names were WHERE and WHAT and WHEN and WHY and HOW and WHO”. Rudyard Kipling
This is the basis of how to do a mind map. By answering these questions about the subject. And keep asking these questions about the subtopics therein after.
So now, we have moved on to the topics of: Thinking. And TEaM.
Thinking. – Mind Mapping. Learning how to use whole brain thinking (left side = logically : right side = creatively)
TEaM. – Time, Energy, Money. Learning how to manage these resources.

So, I have so many notes on this stuff. And sooooo many awesome quotes.
This weekend I’m gonna lay all it out here.
But this is our learning goal.
[B]Trading Acumen[/B]
Trading Acumen is the understanding of the context, content, and conditions of what it takes for someone who trades to become a successful trader.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal. Let’s type.
Here’s all of the quotes I’ve written down. Good stuff to ponder…or shall I say ‘think about’.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the reason why so few engage in it”. Henry Ford
"Thinking leads a man to knowledge. He may see and hear, and read and learn whatever he pleases, and as much as he pleases; He will never know anything of it, except as he has thought it over…By thinking he has made it the property of his own mind." Johann Pestalozzi
"Many think they are thinking when all they’re only doing is rearranging their opinions." William James

So, we are moving along. Went onto thinking. But I do want to put down some stuff that I have notes on about learning.
Components used in your discovery processes in your learning. (This comes from 2 different studies done).
[B]Objective finding[/B]—[B]Define problem[/B]----Learning about the objectives your trying to find.
[B]Fact finding[/B]—[B]Determine root cause[/B]----Learn about the facts that you need.
[B]Problem finding[/B]—[B]Develop alternate solutions[/B]----Is the problem a symptom or is it the core?
[B]Idea finding[/B]—[B]Select a solution[/B]----
[B]Solution finding[/B]—[B]Implement a solution[/B]----
[B]Acceptance finding[/B]—[B]Evaluate the outcome[/B]----

There is 2 columns there, on the left was the outcome of a study from someone, and the column on right came from a college study. It’s something how they both came up with pretty much the same conclusions.
So, all I have to do is remember to use this as a guide when I want to discover, learn something.
This next table is some examples, in my trading, that I would delve into. Subjects about trading.
Trading Preferences and Style.
Market Sector/ Contract Fit (Position sizing)
Personal Timeframe/ Time intervals
Personal Trading Process/ Methodology
Personal Risk Threshold/Management
Market Auction Interpretation/ Indicators
Timeframe Identification and Synthesis
[B]Market Context/Content/Condition[/B]–Those 3 are very important. He has mentioned that many times.
Market and Display Pattern Compatibility
Market Evolution/ Change Signals

He wants us to look this up. —Inattentional Blindness. We went through some examples, of like how we don’t see something that’s right there. (So, I should look it up and do a quick study)

Moving on.
[B]TEaM[/B] --Time, Energy, Money.
“The degree to which you effectively capitalize on you TEaM is a ‘tell’ as to how well you manage yourself.”
[B]Time[/B]
-We all are individuals who choose where we focus our time.
-Do we focus our time on the past, present, or future?
-People will do things today based on what worked for them in the past. Without exploring new things in the present.
-The people who have the greatest ability to create things and to make things happen and achieve success, are the people focused on the present and the capitalization of their resources including their skills, knowledge and experience.
-How much do I focus my mind on? The past/present/future —Positive or Negative?
-Since this is a choice - I need to be AWARE of what state am I focused on.

[B]Energy[/B]
Where does it come from?
-Successful traders balance their lives on a health and wellness basis.
-Intake - Healthy diet.
-Output - Aerobics, Anaerobics, weight training.

[B]Money[/B]

[B]Assets & Liabilities (valuables & debts)[/B]
[B]+[/B]
[B]Revenue & Operating Costs (Income & Outgo)[/B]
[B]=[/B]
[B]Current Financial Position[/B]

He didn’t really go into money much. Just that one table.

[B]Tips on managing your Team resources[/B]
Know it - Practice it - Own it
Invest - Re-energize - Invest
Use it (Consistently) or lose it
Celebrate ALL that you value — Your wins.
Focus on Your Performance

[B]Thinking[/B]

Suggested Thinking Process Components:
–Immediately review, clarify, and expand recorded notes. (That’s exactly what I’ve been doing)
–Mind Map and/or outline the key points learned.
–List questions on points needing clarification.
–Communicate understanding to ‘x’. —a 3rd party—Like to a child. Seeing how effectively you know it.

Whole Brain thinking.
Well, I didn’t get very much in the explanation of the specifics on left/right differences. Basically I need to study it. But, the bottom line is this. Left brain = logic. Right brain = creatively. We learned that we operate out of one or the other. And it’s impossible to use both at the same time. The best we can do is continually switch back and forth. That’s using the whole brain as best as can. Here’s an example of a schedule I can practice.
[B]Curriculum///Schedule[/B]
Left brain —Daily
Right brain --Evenings
Whole brain --Weekend
Right brain --Bi-Weekly
Whole brain --Monthly
So, I guess, basically I take some time to work on one side, and some time to work on the other side. And take some time to work on both, which is the switching back and forth.
When I think about it, it makes sense. What if I naturally just think only one way? And given the fact that there are multiple ways to think, I need to develop the other areas. I can definitely see why I need to develop my thinking, in regards to trading. Oh, I remember something. He gave us a couple different tests. One was a short paragraph we looked at. He said 'how many f’s do you see? I went through it pretty quickly. Came up with a number (I think it was 5). And after a minute or so…he said there like 14 or so. And we looked and counted together. Geeeez. Am I stupid. (Ha ha ha) I only counted the words that [B]started[/B] with the letter F. I somehow just didn’t see the f, for instance, in the word ‘if’. I just couldn’t believe I didn’t see them. And I get the point. My mind was fixated on only words that started with f.
Then he gave us another test. He said to count the number of blocks you see. And what a dummy. I said 16.
Yeah, there were 4 across the top and 4 going down. 4 x 4 = 16. I was just too quick about it. There’s actually many more blocks, cause you can group many blocks within the whole. And including the one block that encompasses the whole entire picture!!
I guess that teaches me something. First off…I need to slow down, and think.
Ok. Yeah. I need to slow down my thinking, and think.
I just remember something I wrote down a little bit ago. What was it.
I found it. ‘Ask why 5 times!! Don’t accept the first answer.’ And right next to that, in my notes, is this quote. "Our trading’s not the problem. It’s the thinking we do, the decisions we make, and the actions we take or don’t, about our trading. —[B]That’s the problem![/B]

This is good stuff. And I need to remember that it all falls under the category of ‘Core Trader Skills’.
Thinking, in my opinion, has to be at the top of the list.

I’m sorry for such a long post. But this helps me solidify a lot of stuff in my mind.
I’m gonna come back to get out what I need to do.
Mike

[MikeWolski]

Ok Journal.
Here’s the email that I normally get afterwards.

So, I did do a thinking mind map. He emailed me and said it was good, but I need to expound on the left/right side brain thinking. (I don’t think I can put my mm here. Too big.)
Basically I need to do a study on left/right/whole brain thinking. So I can understand it more.
Looks like I got to do a mind map on ‘time’, ‘energy’, and ‘money’.

See what work I have to do? Much.
Oh, you know what? I bought a few more books. (Man have I been buying so many books lately!!)
Probably one of the best books that I have ever seen…‘Thinking, fast and slow’ by Daniel Kahneman . This one gives you such an insight on how our minds operate. Truly eye opening.
And another one on thinking also. ‘Thinkertoys’ (2nd edition) By Michael Michalko

And I want to get one more thing down here. I have come up with a good idea. This is my train of thought.
Since I am a man of purpose. And I want to be most productive as possible. I have the idea of making a mind map, every day. And the subject will be this. What have I learned today, that directly correlates to the building of my business? See, I want to keep myself accountable. I want progression. Also I want to keep all things into perspective. And my primary perspective is my goal. Everything I learn I want it to be applicable to the building up of my business. I think maybe I can keep things most organized by mind mapping my way on up, to where I want to arrive. So, I’m gonna try to get a routine going. I want it to be a daily thing.
We’ll see what happens. Maybe I can just pop in here and throw out my daily mind map. And that’s it.

Ok Journal…we’re working.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hi Journal.
I don’t have much time now. But I wanted to mention how the meeting went last night.
All I have to say is that I’m so unbelievably excited about all this material. This is truly the way I want to start out learning. Everything we have been learning about is an absolute must before I get into the nuts and bolts of trading. If I would have to boil it all down, it would be like this. I must learn about: how best do I learn, what’s the most effective way of practicing anything, taking small steps in accomplishing something, learning to think most effectively, learning how to manage my time, energy and money, understanding how to process information (the best way for me), learning best how to make decisions, developing a tool box (via mapping, scripting).
Of course I have mentioned many of those things already, but last night the last 3 subjects were: decision making, processing information, mapping/scripting.
What a session.
And the reason why it was so special to me was they picked me to go through a mind map. So they tapped into my computer and watched me perform it, as they helped with the inputting. (On the onset) I said that I would do it like everyone else does, but Terry said ‘no Mike, do it the way you want to do it’. So, I explained and showed the way I particularly map it all out. And that’s from top down. Not in a circle formation. So, at the end of our time, Terry said 'Mike, this is such a great way of doing this! How did you come up with it? Curious. I said that something triggered in my mind and it’s the way for me. He was very impressed how I came up with it. And that’s what he is wanting. For me to think differently!
What a confidence booster!!
I am so charged up.
Well, I got to run. Will have so much more to input.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Hey Journal.
Enough talking. I’ve been working very hard. And I need to be putting some output in here. It’s all about
Mind Maps. So, that’s what I’m gonna try to do now. In a visible way.

Ok Journal. This is my master mind map. This is the biggest picture, of my business. This (should) means that anything that has to do with my trading business, can be answered by following a mind map. As is depicted there, every topic has a specific mm.
This is good for me to be able to take apart any area that I want to develop more. And needless to say, it’s not completed yet. It will as I move along on my journey.

Be back later on this weekend.

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Journal.
Here’s my ‘learning’ MM. (Broken up for clarity)

Mike

[MikeWolski]

Practicing MM.

Mike