Life with options #1

My introduction 

photo by Sophie Backes on Unsplash

The realities of trading options are a chaotic cacophony of emotions, money, uncertainty and possibility. The market place oozes with mystery and allure by the unknowing and shrouded in jargon and barriers by the knowing. But this is just the face of it. We should tear back the mask and look beyond it as something that just experts do. We should be awakened to our own expeditions in trading, whatever the experience, financial situation or interest. We should utilise its realm of possibilities to generate new forms of income and create the potential of a new balance to work and life. 

On the scales of work and life my dream is to tip them into a constant favouring of life. I have come the the conclusion I'll take life over work any day and I'll look for whatever reasonable way there is to achieve it. The lifestyle I want to lead (placing priority of my time as the upmost important factor) fits perfectly of what trading options can offer. 

But being completely honest, trading options does not interest me. The actual mechanics and theory of it is not very thought provoking or exceptional - I'm certain while watching paint dry I would conjure up deeper thoughts. What is interesting, however, is your relationship to trading. This is where it gets complex and convoluted. Understanding trends, price charts and indicators are all useful tools, but they are relatively easily learnt. 

What isn't easily learned is how you are going to feel when a trade goes against you and suddenly feel the gravity of losing $10,000 and the mortgage still needs to be paid? On the flip side, how do you cope with the prospect of making $5000 in one week and not get carried away? These feelings are what I wish to share to show psychologically what is to be expected during the highs and lows and how that relates to real life. 

Everyone will start differently when beginning to trade. Some may be more cautious, others more aggressive. Some will have more money, some OK with losing a bit and some needing to make it work. My starting point is an account of $25K and not much room to lose any of it. 

I currently have a house with my fiancee and neither of us are currently in full time employment. My initial investment was all my savings and what was meant for keeping us afloat until we both made incomes, so I needed to hit the ground running. This is a key point with regards to my relationship to trading. In some regards this is a good starting point as it should make me more disciplined and risk adverse. In another way it's a little bit of a gamble. This inevitably has influenced my choices in trades and the raw emotions that have been felt. 

This is my beginning. Journeying through the matrix of options, to share what thoughts I have on how to cope and enjoy trading. Far too often do we only see information on how to trade and the best strategies to make fast money. I would like to offer a space for traders like me starting out or already trading, to understand and appreciate what it means to have a life with options.