Minimalism is more than just a number

As the title says, minimalism is more than just a number.  It is also how you interact with the task at hand and the path you take from start to finish.

From when I turn on my computer in the morning and log into my Investor’s Business Daily account to read the news and do a little stock research, my “market” pattern more resembles the Lévy flight concept than it does a defined direction.  It starts with doing “homework” on a position.  Then I’ll find an interesting unrelated article linked in one of the margins.  Check out a stock noted in the article.  Check out it’s technicals and fundamentals.  Does it offer options?  Maybe I’ll see if Stocktwits.com has any current twits on it.  Look, someone spammed $SPY in their twit to get noticed!  How is SPY BTW?  And before I know it, I’ve become like a derailed train and 30+ minutes wasted with no actual progress to show for it.  Even as I write this, I find myself beginning to trail off into other directions.  Must… Stay… Strong!

The idea of being a minimalist trader has many facets.   One such facet of minimalism means being able to focus and block out the multiple distractions that want to divert my attention from the task at hand.  There is no switch or magical fix.  It requires the self discipline to accomplish what you had set out to do before you set off again in another direction.  It also means being able to recognize the fork in the road and to stay on the correct path.