Hey Guys!
Do you find your self increasing and decreasing the lot sizes you trade depending on your trade set up? Or perhaps even doubling down after a previous losing trade? I know I use to! For a number of reasons! The most common being "making up for previous losses". Now I don't completely disagree with different position sizes depending on the trade set up. It definitely has its place in higher levels of trading. When as a seasoned trader, the "revenge trade" temptation is mostly gone.
However as a beginner trader, changing position sizes depending on the trade set up is a bad idea for 2 reasons: #1 It will likely destroy your account unnecessarily. By unnecessarily, I mean you don't have to lose money to learn how to trade. Although you may have to endure losses and persist through adversity in trading, the monetary losses can be small. #2 It deters the beginner trader from their primary focus. No, the primary focus is "not" to make money as a beginner trader. That comes later. The primary focus for the beginner trader is to hone and develop their strategy until the strategy becomes efficient enough to at least reach "relative efficiency". This means month over month, your profit and loss results are at break even.
So when your doubling down on a trade, ask yourself, are you doing it to make money? Or are you doing it to develop your strategy? It's highly likely that you're doing it to make money. Again, you're changing positions sizes for the wrong reasons. So if you're a beginner trader, keep the lot sizes of all your trades the same. Focus and persist on honing and developing your strategy. There's a time and place for everything. When it comes to trading, focusing on making money is only relevant to the trader with an established strategy that's proven to consistently make money in the markets.
Hope this helps!
Have a great day!
Ken
Do you find your self increasing and decreasing the lot sizes you trade depending on your trade set up? Or perhaps even doubling down after a previous losing trade? I know I use to! For a number of reasons! The most common being "making up for previous losses". Now I don't completely disagree with different position sizes depending on the trade set up. It definitely has its place in higher levels of trading. When as a seasoned trader, the "revenge trade" temptation is mostly gone.
However as a beginner trader, changing position sizes depending on the trade set up is a bad idea for 2 reasons: #1 It will likely destroy your account unnecessarily. By unnecessarily, I mean you don't have to lose money to learn how to trade. Although you may have to endure losses and persist through adversity in trading, the monetary losses can be small. #2 It deters the beginner trader from their primary focus. No, the primary focus is "not" to make money as a beginner trader. That comes later. The primary focus for the beginner trader is to hone and develop their strategy until the strategy becomes efficient enough to at least reach "relative efficiency". This means month over month, your profit and loss results are at break even.
So when your doubling down on a trade, ask yourself, are you doing it to make money? Or are you doing it to develop your strategy? It's highly likely that you're doing it to make money. Again, you're changing positions sizes for the wrong reasons. So if you're a beginner trader, keep the lot sizes of all your trades the same. Focus and persist on honing and developing your strategy. There's a time and place for everything. When it comes to trading, focusing on making money is only relevant to the trader with an established strategy that's proven to consistently make money in the markets.
Hope this helps!
Have a great day!
Ken
Forex Trader/Forex Trading Education/Weekly Forex Forecasts and Midweek Forex Analysis