Street Smarts - Linda Rashke

Traders talk amongst themselves, not necessarily to discuss bullish or bearish market opinions, but rather to share insights into the nature and quirkiness of this business.

The mental toll trading exacts definitely forms bonds. When we open up it is always surprising to discover the similarity of lessons learned, experiences shared, and how we all independently arrive at the same conclusions. Often in talking with each other we're really looking for clues into our own heads, hoping to understand ourselves a little better.

Despite our constant pursuit of knowledge, the market itself assures there is no shortcut to obtaining our final degree. In the end, it is experience which is our ultimate teacher and there is no substitute. We can only choose the attitude with which we approach this process of learning to trade. We can accept the inevitable setbacks and learn from them, or we can yield to our natural human stubbornness and be forced to repeat the same lessons over and over again. The single most important secret is this: learn to listen to the markets and do not impose your own will upon them.

Every successful trader we have known has also discovered the necessity for consistency. It is the key to everything - you must trade with a coherent methodology. You must follow a specific trading strategy. The essential starting point is: minimizing risk first, looking to maximize gains only after risk has been defined and controlled. Our number one guiding belief is that you must, above all, find setups and entries which minimize exposure. The profits come on their own terms.

You only need ONE strategy to be prosperous. Some of the best traders are successful because they trade only one strategy.