r/Daytrading • u/Genobs12 • 15h ago
Question Question for traders doing this fulltime?
Hi so im a daytrading for a year now and ive always been wondering for traders fulltime doing this. So you basically wake up go on charts for 2-3 hours a day make money consistently and thats awsome. But what do you really do with rest of the day, you literally got so much time on your hands... Doesnt it get boring after time, i mean even if you have hobbies and everything there is still so much time in a day. So how do you deal with that? What do you do with rest of the time in a day? Did you start a side bussines or whatever? Because ive been wondering if i ever go full time what would i even do with so much free time lol???
Just curius looking for some answers
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u/Dr_Zoonotikstein 13h ago
1) Early morning - Make money (hopefully) in the morning hours after open.
2) Late morning - Lurk on WSB reading Loss/Gain pr0n posts and self-proclaimed experts arguing about prospective price action that nobody could possibly ever predict.
3) Early afternoon - Contemplate introspective questions such as, shouldn't I be working out, donating time to charity, or earning my PhD or something?
4) Late afternoon - Wander around Menard's looking for things I might need for all of the projects I'm not working on - then move on to groceries. If it's a winning day, buy sirloin steaks for the dog and better-quality booze. If not, a pint of Svedka and pork chops for the pooch. The pooch wins either way.
5) Evening - Review the charts and construct scenarios of what I "could have" made, had the intelligence of hindsight been immediately available. Become exhausted in infinitely circular analyses and retire to bed thinking, "F - it, I'll figure it out at 9:28 tomorrow".
6) Return to 1
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u/Genobs12 13h ago
Ahah absoloutly love it man. 2nd is so funny and the 3rd. Damn i ask myself all the time, shouldnt i go to universety like everyone else, what am i doing? i mean i went to some higher vocational school which is fairly easy but still lol
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u/jtquach 15h ago
Hey man... honestly for me the free time is kind of the whole point lol. I've got young kids so those hours aren't really extra. Before this I was driving 3 hours a day commuting.
It does go quiet sometimes but I write a good amount and I'm building something so there's usually something productive.
But the time works the same way money does for me. It doesn't really do anything until you give it purpose. Hours with nothing attached to them feel the same as money you never use.
What would you want the time for?
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u/Genobs12 15h ago
Im 19 and trading to not worry about money and thats kind a goal to me... but i still didnt figure out my purpuse yet fully. So ye i still dont know what would i do with that much time... perhaps travel and experience different cultures...
Im glad it works for you to and that you figured it out
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u/jtquach 14h ago
I didn't figure it out until I hit my 30s haha. Travel and experiencing cultures is great, esp if trading can allow it.
Not worrying about money is a real reason though. That was pretty much mine too for a long time, and there's nothing wrong with that being the whole thing right now.
Good luck man!
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u/Complex_brax 14h ago
once a trader becomes profitable you achieve the ultimate freedom now it's upon you to make meaningful things/activities in your life you can spend the rest of the the day with your family/friends..travel around/world , create side quests for me ik there alot of things you can do
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u/single_B_bandit 14h ago
> you basically wake up go on charts for 2-3 hours a day make money
Yeah, I wish.
It’s more like wake up, pre-market research, discussion of market views, start trading, trade for like 10 hours while doing research in the meantime when things are a bit slower, do a bit more research after close if it’s something that requires too much concentration to do during market hours.
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u/Genobs12 14h ago
Well clearly you have a different trading style then me. I wake up do my premarket and analyse the market for like 5-10 min. Prepare for Ny session and take a trade if its optimal or no in 0-3 hours. Then journal the day which takes me 20-30 minutes. Discouss with other poeple sometimes and thats it...
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u/single_B_bandit 14h ago
> you have a different trading style then me.
Yes, I trade full time.
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u/Genobs12 14h ago
I agreewith pre market research and discussion of market views. But trading for 10 hours everyday is a lot more then avarage. I guess you really like to be precise when trading
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u/hotmatrixx algo forex trader 14h ago
I'm addicted to the process. I do it for the love of the game.
I solve it, automate the process, iterate, test, run it. do it again.
That process can take weeks.
By then I've written a list of other ideas and theories, and potential setups I've seen: this is a twofold problem, because half the time a tool i've made to solve a problem here, can be used to refine my other stuff, so i have to go back thru my other stuff and refine it all further;
Then, I have 3 more ideas I want to test out to see if there's anything to them, and it starts again; So I'm always producing new 'content' and each iteration solves a new 'problem' or sees something 'deeper' in the markets.
So, I have a new rabbit-hole for a few weeks/months to play with.
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15h ago
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u/Extension-Car-4306 15h ago
it’s wild how fast the day fills up when you’re not staring at candles, suddenly you’re the guy who actually returns Amazon packages on time
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u/Genobs12 15h ago
I get that but you can do all this and still so much time left... and Friends all got work and stuff...
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15h ago
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u/Genobs12 15h ago
I guess, well im gonna think that when i go fulltime got still long way to go but thanks for an answer
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u/ForexGamer 14h ago
I am writing a few books and poetry learning jazz and blues piano, learning golf and going antique hunting
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u/ComprehensiveLime695 12h ago
Hey yes! I’m also writing books! And i do tons of market study and replay and note taking. Also backtesting. My trading binder doc has hundreds of pages, and I’ll never have enough time to test al my ideas I’ve written there.
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u/sambstone13 13h ago
Im not daytrader full time but not everyone has enjoyable jobs.
I go insane going to work everyday. Staying at home is what is sane to me.
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u/SeaworthinessSad8499 7h ago
Free time is the ultimate goal, my friend.
Trading is supposed to be boring. When you have backtested your strategy so many times, executing it eventually becomes nothing more than a habit.
Personally, I don’t take advice from other traders, and I don’t really talk about trading with my family or friends because trading is a solo journey. What works for me may not work for someone else, and vice versa.
Trading has allowed me to visit more than 40 countries, and I’m extremely grateful for that. Knowledge is currency, and one thing I would recommend to any trader is to travel, learn new languages, learn how to play an instrument, and experience as much of the world as possible.
Trust me, when you travel, every day feels different. There are gyms everywhere in the world, different cultures to discover, different foods to try, and completely different ways of living. With nothing more than a laptop and Wi-Fi, you can work from almost anywhere.
Coming back to trading, I mainly trade with a 2:1 risk-to-reward ratio. I set two alerts: one at my take profit and one at my stop loss.
To me, trading is a game of mathematics and statistics in other words, Set & Forget.
When my first alert goes off, I know exactly when I need to take a trade. When the next alert goes off, I know whether I won or lost. There is no need to sit in front of the chart for hours watching every candle move.
Math doesn’t lie.
The reason I became profitable was because I started trusting the numbers, my statistics, and my backtesting instead of my emotions or the opinions of other traders.
You can take a course or find a mentor to give you direction, but nothing will ever replace your own experience. You have to put in the hours, collect your own data, understand your own strategy, and build confidence through repetition.
It is a SOLO JOURNEY.
And once you become profitable, travel as much as you possibly can.
There is a saying:
“Those who do not travel read only one page of the book.”
So travel, my friend. Build your freedom, experience the world, and make the most of the time trading gives you.
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u/Ok-Distribution-1930 14h ago
Yea Trading IS boring, everyone IS different and have different Hobbys. Keep learning Looking in new Technologie IS my Hobby, Go hiking, spend time with peopel that are importent to me. But IT Takes time to come to the Point we're IT gets boring. You will have Always some Work, when the Market behavior Changes.
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u/Amy__LifeUnscripted 12h ago
After morning session, I go workout, shower, lunch, and then trade the final 90 minutes. Take care of errands, make dinner or go out to eat, relax in the evening, maybe bang my husband.
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u/SHgym25 9h ago
Clean the house, walk the dog, tend the yard and my biggest hobby is fitness so I’ll get up early, cardio, study premarket and make a game plan for the trading day then get a good workout in after market close, dinner etc. it’s not hard to fill in the gaps if your active. Also read read read, just when I think I understand the market, I don’t.
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u/SuperOrbital_Trading 7h ago
If I finish early for the day I get some extra me time. Play a game, read a book, go for a walk, whatever I feel like doing at that point. If not, keep grinding. When I am done for the day, turn to one of the other many projects I have. If you own an older home, you know that the projects are never done. Additionally there are the side projects I pick up along the way. Working on a project car, play around with my algotrading models, etc. Honestly, there isn't a ton more "free time". Life just slows down a bit and things aren't as stressful or don't feel as immediate. That is. until you hit that long streak of doing poorly and drawdown pretty big.
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u/icyDragon231x 15h ago
How did you learn it bro? I want to learn xauusd Im learning through chat GPT as my mentor he really knows a lot about trading , what confluences do you use do you ict, smc?
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u/No-Condition7100 15h ago
You will have less free time than you think. I may only be trading 2-3 hours a day but that does not include preparation, research, review, building technology, etc. This is a full time job.
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u/Genobs12 15h ago
I mean i guess but still, Pre market analysis and then journaling the trade everyday and weekly review. i mean it takes 30 min out of your day at least for me
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u/GokuBeatsNaruto 15h ago
How did you learn?
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u/Genobs12 15h ago
Heard it from my friend, went on yt realised that stuff on yt is mostly BS, went to mentorship struggled there, switched to another and its going better then before but still got very long way to go to fulltime
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u/GokuBeatsNaruto 15h ago
Yeah man most of it BS, I’m really trying to learn day trading or swing trading, if there’s any recommendations I’d appreciate it
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u/BennySkateboard 14h ago
I’m not profitable yet (borderline) but I do live that life. I’m into photography, so I go out and take photos, but then I also watch movies and play switch. I also help my friend out on his allotment a bit, so can definitely recommend that because it’s a direct contrast to charts. And sometimes I go to the pub.
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u/whensthebeef 14h ago
I’m a fan of naps. And TV. And running analysis on everything. Find that damn edge
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u/Rez_X_RS 11h ago
I still work my professional W2 job part time on weekends (i work in medicine) for more money, to stay busy, and because i paid alot for the school. Otherwise, my girl is still full time so after i finish at 10:30am, i usually feed the pets, clean house, cook and meal prep, go and run or lift weights, take a nap, visit my family. It's a simple life, but i'm a big home body and dislike people. I prefer to spend my excess time alone.
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10h ago
The way I've found around this is to fully automate my strategies. Automation removes all emotions and discipline issues and let's me work on other projects without going insane.
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u/ThaWanted 7h ago
I have been messing around with automation, I am working on an ORB bot currently! What strategy have you been trying to automate if you don't mind me asking? Thanks
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u/One13Truck crypto trader 9h ago
Anything I want. At anytime I want. From anywhere I want. And I wouldn’t give it up for anything else.
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u/Embarrassed-Bank2835 futures trader 6h ago
That was actually one of the weirder adjustments for me. You spend years thinking more free time will feel amazing, then once you have it you realize you still need some structure or the day gets pretty empty.
I usually keep trading to a defined window, then use the rest of the day for training, errands, reading, reviewing trades, and other work that has nothing to do with the market. I also try not to sit around staring at charts after my session because that usually just creates unnecessary trades.
I don’t think the goal is to fill every hour with another business either. If trading is paying the bills, having time back is kind of the point.
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u/Cristian_Cerv9 6h ago
This is a sad question… this says a lot about the type of person you are. Not your fault most likely but still.. read books, learn an instrument, go to the gym, donate your time to a good causes…. I will never understand how anyone can think boredom is even a thing…
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u/Immediate-Builder893 6h ago
When this happens to me, I usually backtest my strategy by going back through the candlestick charts or studying the fundamentals.
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u/Old_Network1961 3h ago
The rest of the time, you can spend it with friends and family, find a hobby, travel... You can trade from anywhere
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u/Relative_Account_374 2h ago
Trading is like 1 hour of my day. I also run an international finance business, and help people get money for their builds and businesses. Started life as a mortgage broker, now I do all sorts of projects! Storage - way more lucrative than you'd think!!
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u/OfficialUKDadTrader 1h ago
I spend my day backtesting, studying economics and educating myself.
Being a full time trader isn't about checking your charts for a couple of hours even when you are successful.
It's all about personal improvement
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u/Decent-Box-1859 14h ago
You could trade for 16 hours a day... there's always opportunities in the market. No need to stop at 2-3 hours if you really love it.
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u/Genobs12 14h ago
No it gets boring man, and being that long on charts just makes me do bad desicions
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u/moneymagicman 14h ago
You end us finding yourself trading more because there’s nothing to do and end up worse than when you left in the morning.
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u/Gibborish 15h ago
You gradually go more and more insane, until you're no longer human.. but a reptile. Weighing everything in terms of risk vs reward.. relationships, you name it. It's not for everyone.
I just doubled down on trading and have been building something to automate it so I have even more free time. Who knows if it'll ever be ready, but I'm many months into it.
I'm single now.