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Feature
Blueprint
to Success
by
Melita Hunt
When it comes to
the topic of trading systems, the number of systems available in the
marketplace today is probably in the hundreds, if not thousands for
you to choose from �Enter on the green signal and exit on the
red� seems to be the most common factor among them. Seem familiar?
So with all of these holy grail systems (and that�s their
marketing words, not mine) to choose from, how do we separate the
wheat from the chafe?
And more
importantly, what if we don�t need to? Based on the feedback that
we have received from clients, heading down the path of pre-existing
packaged systems seems to have caused much more stress than success.
There is much more to trading success than just following red
and green signals.
From the mouths of
champion traders in Market Wizards and also in Van�s books, it is espoused that the
best thing to do is to create your own system. But where on earth
does one start? Many people do not feel that they are capable of
creating their own system and that could possibly be because they
have a misconception of what a system actually is.
And in addition to
a system, there are actually many other important pieces to the
trading puzzle. In fact, an entire business plan should be created
and numerous systems can then be incorporated into this plan.
About three years
ago, Van decided that he would restart his Super Trader program and
in preparation for that, we discussed the most important things that
a Super Trader needed to do to become a successful and consistently
profitable trader. Van had been teaching these things for many
years, but he decided that it was time to put the steps into some
semblance of order. Before he knew it, he had almost 100 tasks that
would need to be accomplished. There were a number of them based
around systems but in addition, there was so much more that had to
be considered.
The tasks ranged
from psychological work to creating the all important business plan,
learning how to position size correctly and ultimately how to
develop not one, but numerous trading systems that would fit in with
the big picture.
For the first time
ever all of the concepts that Van teaches were compiled into one
format. He started with the most important factors that would make
the greatest impact on trading success, and progressed through
stages that ended with an ongoing work schedule for continued
success.
I
thought that the material was incredibly valuable and should be made
available to many more people than just the Super Traders. So to
introduce these 100 tasks to more clients, a new workshop was born
�Blueprint to Trading Success.
Initially, we
decided that 100 tasks would seem like far too many to complete and
people would get disillusioned or frustrated with the process, but
like any profession, it really takes diligent study and practice to
be sufficiently qualified as a trader, just as it is in any
endeavor. However, Van worked through them and culled them into a
workable and viable collection of questions and tasks that could be
delivered and discussed in class.
I believe that Van
asks the right question when coaching clients by starting with a
simple �Who Are You?� which is the basis of the Blueprint
Workshop.
This simple phrase
can set you up to take the path of greater trading success simply by
determining who you really are, what you want to accomplish and what
it will take to reach those goals.
The phrase is
simple but the process is more of a journey. Of course, a small
group environment with Van leading the planning is the ideal
situation to work through this process. But for our readers who
can�t make it to a workshop, I�d like to share just some of the
topics from the workshop.
Assessment,
Business Planning, Objectives and Key Systems
- What
are my strengths as a trader, business owner and a researcher?
- Do
my favorite indicators really represent the market? Why or why
not?
- How
well does my personality fit trading?
- What
was my best year ever?
- What
am I willing to tolerate in terms of possible loss?
- What
are my trading edges
Market
Selection, Strategy Preparation and Development, Systems, Testing
and Position Sizing
- How
will I measure the risk to reward ratio of each trade?
- How
do I define a sector and what is my criteria for moving in?
- Will
I have multiple strategies or multiple markets?
- How
does my knowledge about charts translate into a low-risk entry?
- How
will I know if I am wrong on this trade?
- How
will I get my initial R-multiple distribution?
- What
position size will I use to test my system?
Self-Assessment,
Self-Work, Top-Down Approach and Applying Objectives
- What
are the top five issues that I have as a trader?
- What
does my dream life look like?
- What
is an incident that
has bothered me? How does it affect my trading?
- Which
of the ten tasks of trading am I resistant to doing?
These are just a
few of the areas that are covered in the extensive Blueprint for
Trading Success Workshop. If you are really ready to put together a
viable business plan for your trading, then this workshop is the
answer. I believe that there is something in it for everybody and
miraculously the trading systems seem much easier to develop after
they have been through this process and have their blueprint in
hand.
It
is one of my favorite workshops because I have seen the huge
difference that it has made to the many people that have already
attended. I want to encourage people to come
along and get a taste of all of Van's concepts and this is the best
resource to do that. I hope you'll join us for the experience one
day.The Next
Blueprint Workshop is coming soon. See below.
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