I like that perspective. Itās incredible the way one can derive motivation and eventually reach discipline through.
At the end of the day it seems that you have to build your own way to discipline both in trading and in life.
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The grind begins to become fun at this point.
295 Lessons deep and starting undergraduate senior I find myself obsessed 
The good kind though, hopefully.
Recently Iāve covered trading plans and the works. Creating your own system, the rules applying, and journaling. Iāve begun structuring my very own plan and I have already revised it a dozen times and I expect to revise it many, many, many times more. Iāve been using Google Doc to make it and plan to have it available to read to myself every time I turn my PC on.
I find myself struggling to figure out how to entirely build a system though. I believe I have finally reached a point in my journey where I can no longer spend my time simply reading and note taking. The age of back testing and running primitive plans through market data to figure out what works best for myself has arrived. I can hardly contain my excitement for this step.
My starting plan will follow myself running bare minimum strategies and systems that will more than likely absolutely crash and burn 
But this is my idea. If I can figure out the ways to fail, then I must eventually find a way to be successful.
This of course does not include every way as Iām sure that is, well infinite. But, by beginning to understand, see, and test for myself WHY systems fail I set myself on a path to discover WHY systems work. And that information itself will be priceless upon its discovery.
At the end of the day Iāll be working as smart as I can to keep it simple. I myself am a minimalist. I find things get to busy and cluttered with a screen that looks like I just dropped a mega pack of skittles 
Well, less talking and more doing Tony.
Cheers dudes 
See you at the top.
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Looks like youāre in a good place. Iām only a few steps ahead of you. I reached a similar point where I was obsessed and excited to put all this knowledge to the test. That obsession and excitement for learning and experimenting will take you far and get you through the struggles.
Itās only through experience that comes with a lot of mistakes and failure that we can improve as traders. When I got closer to the end of the School of Pipsology, I realized it will take years to get good with trading.
Itās great that youāve gotten a sense of what it will take to make it in this business. It is an endless process of discovery because the market is always changing. A lot of people who try trading never get this understanding of what it takes and end up quitting.
Cheers!
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A lot of feelings around my current progress.
Iāve found myself this past week quite the number of times thinking Iāve spent hours accomplishing absolutely nothing. Wondering if I even grasp concepts well enough to be attempting what Iām doing.
It hasnāt all been for not though. Iām dragging myself towards success. Itās odd. After failing so many times this week in so many different approaches; realizing that this is just the beginning and Iāll be failing even more, excites me
Well yaāknow I plan on just absolutely breaking everything till I can put it back together perfectly.
Covered some basic topics more in depth this week such as position sizing and elements of risk management.
Iām hoping to be able to figure out this back testing more than I do now to keep a good record of all the strategies and formulas I run through it. This is all just a numbers game.
Cheers
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I still feel the same way. I feel like Iāve spent all this time studying, and I havenāt really learned anything.
But thatās actually a good place to be. Itās the second stage out of the 4 Stages of Competence.
1st Stage: Unconscious Incompetence (Ignorance)
āHow hard can it be? Itāll be fine.ā
2nd Stage: Conscious Incompetence (Awareness)
āCrikey! I have no idea what Iām doing. I better get learning.ā
3rd Stage: Conscious Competence (Learning)
āWow, I actually know what Iām doing.ā
4th Stage: Unconscious Competence (Mastery)
āI donāt know, I just do it.ā
Thatās from this article:
Four Stages of Competence: How We Learn Every New Skill (themindcollection.com)
Youāre already ahead of me because youāre already trading. Iām happy to see youāre making good progress.
It will take time and experience before we can make trades that always win while being blindfolded with our hands tied behind our backs.
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Youāve really come far with this. Congrats.
You sound like youāve started trying your hands on charts.
Failing is inevitably necessary for success. You I cringe each time I recall that Thomas Edison failed with the light bulb over 1000 times.
What the heck was he thinking not to have given up at the 100th failed attempt.
Well, I believe he saw something no one else saw.
Hence your vision is the only thing that can make your present failures look like stepping stones to your future success.
Wow, look what we have here, this smartypants just dropped a quote.
See at the top, cheersš„
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Just as success doesnāt come overnight, same way mastery doesnāt.
At the beginning, I was really trying to absorb all I read. I wanted to know every word, definitions, calculations, that crossed my sight.
It dawned on me that no matter how long I spent on a topic, that wonāt cause me to know it well enough not to have to revisit it if the need arises later.
Besides, where the real knowledge of trading lies is in the experience of the market (not saying the theory isnāt important).
The main teacher is the market, and the successful traders out there who have attained the mastery level, are good students of the market.
Weāll always return to the books to interpret what the market teaches, and with this, mastery cannot be far off.
It only takes time.
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2nd Stage baby thatās what Iām talking about!
You put progression that way and it makes the road markers on your journey a bit easier to see my friend, thank you.
Yeah charting is rough man. I cannot wait till Iām able to look at one and understand to the fullest extent of my ability what Iām seeing and itās interpretations.
Hence why Iāve begun to move aggressively into charting. Like you said, the most understanding you can derive is from the real experience.
Cheers dudes
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Twenty-three lessons left.
This progression has been daunting. The change in my mindset through this course has been unreal. The number of times Iāve bounced between different ideas, markets, and securities ever changing my perspective on what exactly would give me the best shot at becoming a successful trader over the past months has been enlightening.
I say this because I now truly have an understanding of what it takes.
We can throw indicators at the screen, do all the fundamental research, stare at the charts, pay for as many āwinning strategiesā until our pockets run dry, and conquer the emotions inside of us.
Truly, what I have learned through my obsessive dive into the Forex market and those like it so far is as follows.
The truly successful traders who are able to withstand the chaos throughout the ages are scientists. To be more specific, market scientists. These are people who leave nothing on their end to chance. Weāve all heard about the institutional traders, the firms, the large corporations, and the banks. Weāre told over and over that weāre competing with those who have PHDās and are mathematicians. So, is that not our answer there? Weāre constantly looking for ways to outsmart geniuses without becoming genius.
Developing a truly successful edge for however long it takes requires one to literally become a market scientist. Yes, could one be a discretionary trader and reap rewards through incredible skill? Of course. Could that same discretionary trader survive throughout the ages? No.
The markets are ever changing and no amount of this āunderstandingā could make someone profitable over the long period.
A market scientist who has developed a profitable edge through very careful and methodical statistical testing and scientific processes will always come out on top. This does not discount risk management and any other factor that plays into a trader being successful. These people have literally taken everything into account and do not leave one little detail for misinterpretation. Everything is defined. Everything has parameters. Everything is a ratio. And they always make sure theyāre winning.
This is what Iāve decided to be. Leave nothing on my end to chance. Record everything. Run every minute detail through the gauntlet of study.
This does not mean I shall always win. But it sure well means Iāll never be out of the game.
Iāve enjoyed the School of Pipsology so far! Never thought it would set me on the path I am now.
"Stop looking for certainty, stop worrying about luck and designing something that will prove to be infinitely viable. Become a market scientist, create a viable market theory, play it out until it stops working (hopefully, if it is exceedingly robust, you will be dead long before that happens), and then have a feedback mechanism ready so that you can roll with the punches, make your adjustments, and continue moving forward." - Chris
Cheers to success
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Iām amazed to see the progress youāve made and the realizations youāve had so far. Itās amazing that Iāve come up with conclusions that are similar to what you wrote about here.
Itās almost like Iām reading my own journal when I read your post, but you articulated it much better than I could. Great minds . . .
Who is Chris? I love that quote. Itās the first time Iāve seen someone talk about being a market scientist that way.
Cheers to success
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Great minds indeed we shall see
Iāve been very lucky in my dive of research to stumble upon incredible wisdom. Regarding what my post was more over about came from a dive into forex factory. This is what I stumbled upon and the whole discussion. Post #12 was what caught my eye.
Trading forex profitable is impossible! | Forex Factory
Itās small moments like this. The single voice of wisdom in a sea of noise. These are the diamonds in the rough I hope to continue finding throughout my journey.
Cheers man thanks!
Thanks for sharing that post by Chris. 
It is a diamond in the rough that confirms the direction Iām going in. He describes exactly the way I want to be able to trade.
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- October 15 2023
One hundred and four days ago I stumbled upon Forex through BabyPips. I had absolutely no market experience. I had never seen a chart. I had never heard of any sort of analysis.
Iāve only been alive for twenty-one years. Honestly cannot say Iāve really taken after anything in life until now. Spent most of my time just lackadaisically moving through the motions. But something really clicked with Forex. Before understanding anything, I could feel it. I just felt it.
Here we are, one hundred and four days later, and this path Iāve set myself upon seems insurmountable at times.
But just like at the beginning, I feel it. Like a horror movie I find myself pulled to keep watching; peering through the cracks of my fingers waiting for the bars upon the screen to unfold.
There is no stopping now. Like a young childās wax paper boat set on the stormy waves of the curbside Iāve begun to weather the waves of concepts and fundamentals placed before myself with no end of this streetside in sight.
In the words of BabyPips, I am a noob.
But now, a noob with a goal.
This course has not provided me with a map to profitability. It provided me with the necessary tools to make that map.
The Beginning.
And what a beginning it was.
I look forward to developing my working strategies and plunge myself into the liquidity of the markets.
Also, to the friends I make and people I meet along the way.
Thank you all for the support, truly.
This course has enlightened me far beyond just trading.
With the School of Pipsology behind me, here I go.
So, cheers to success
Iāll see you at the top.
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Welcome to the world of forex trading, noob! 
You really earned that green hat icon on your profile pic. Congratulations! I admire how hard you worked to complete the course while doing the hard work as a journeyman. Great job. You helped me to stay motivated.
Youāre lucky that you found Forex and it clicked with you at this stage in your life. Many people never find that special something that clicks for them until itās too late.
Iām grateful to be a noob going on this trading journey with another noob like you who will use the tools you acquired to earn financial freedom.
āIf you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.ā
IldƔnach
Iām looking forward to seeing how far we will go.
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Thank you!
Your support has been invaluable. Itās a long road but I have no doubt weāll reach our goals!
Having other noobs on this adventure is paramount to the success we strive for. Through all stages weāll keep climbing higher.
Never forget 
- The BabyPips noobs preparing to take on the markets
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Ayo!
I have quite the number of plans in progress. For the finish of this thread, Iāll be spending some time showing and talking about some of the details for whatās next.
I plan to create a new thread to track my progress through a demo account.
It would be difficult to create strategies and methods with zero market experience. So, Iāll be diving in headfirst and begin to throw what I got at the market. I plan on making as many stupid mistakes as I can to learn as I go and rough out the edges of what works and what does not.
Iāll also be running a couple forms of journals. One will be here on Babypips. This will contain mostly just bullet points and ideas and thoughts with screenshots of trades. This form will allow me to connect with more experienced traders and keep my progress visible for fellow noobs!
The next form will be a physical journal that will contain mostly just my thoughts, feelings, and experience through the trades. Keeping track of my emotions will require the ability to review and correct whenever necessary.
The third and last will be a statistical journal. This is being running through Google Spreadsheet. This one is difficult. I have spent some serious time gathering inspiration and creating a rough draft of what it will look like and how it will function.
Iāll be posting a PDF of this so please throw me any improvement ideas or questions.
Almost all of the statistical journal is automated. It will just require manual input in the gray bars of each trade to enter in information.
And that is about what I have so far.
Very excited to continue work on this journey.
Thank you!
Statistical Trading Journal - Sheet5.pdf (51.8 KB)
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Wow! Your thorough preparations are impressive.
It has been an inspiration seeing your progress in this thread.
Iām excited to see the next chapter in your trading journey.
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@RedEyeRishMan Congratulations!!!
You never know, you two may one day start a two-man trading company. Why not?
IldƔnach Trading, Inc.
or
IldƔnach Capital, Inc.
IldƔnach Capital, LLC
That would be so cool!
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Thank you!
Through reading your journal and posts Iāve derived insight and inspirations. Youāve been more of a help than you can imagine!
Becoming incorporated has been a goal of mine for a while 
We shall see where this weird universe takes all of us!
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Congrats man!
You made it pass the first race. And I can see you already started the second before the first ended.
Keep going bro.
Cheers to success!
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