Slow and steady – A time for reflection.

Perspective is an invaluable tool and something that I usually fail to consider properly so allow me to indulge myself for a moment whilst I consider today’s achievements.

I have “earned” over £100 from watching sports. From clicking buttons on a computer whilst watching television. From the same activities that I have performed for 25 years of my life. From doing what the ‘average’ person does on a daily basis. It has been all too common recently to overlook this fact. To consider winning a normal occurrence and fail to appreciate the achievements made.

I hit the “reset” button at the start of 2010 and since then, I have earned £288.14. Some people will not have earned that much through their day jobs in 2010.

Today’s trading was, as a matter of fact, particularly routine and unmemorable and my first triple figure day of the year came at a time when most sporting events were actually called off due to the snow. With only one 3.00 PM kick off in the football, I looked to trade the correct score market in the Arsenal v Everton game and despite actually having laid an Everton scoreline at the time they scored, still profited to the tune of £13.

At the same time, I had one eye on the Rugby Union match. Now previously I have run in to trouble when trading multiple markets at the same time, but most of my trades were done before the match went in play as I sought to use some of the more general trading strategies that work well in Rugby League and then traded the draw during the first half to earn over £25 from the market.

I then traded the Birmingham v Man Utd game and was able to scalp 0-0 down from 11.5 to 10 as per my usual strategy before Birmingham scored at a time when I had significant green on 3-3 and 3-1. Pure luck it must be understood, but they all count and some small trades at Half Time took my earnings on the market to over £50, which was my largest profit of the year.

Finally, with the £100 barrier in sight, I sought to trade the Valencia v Almeria Correct Score market before kick off and combined with some small in play trades, profited to the tune of £19 before commission, bringing my daily earnings to over £106.

The most amazing thing about all the trades was that at all times, they just felt like small trades. There was no in depth preparation or frantic trades as I associate with my more “in depth” trades in Rugby League, Formula 1 or even when I was trading the X Factor. Everything feels in slow motion at the moment.

As I look back on my trading so far this year, the two major things that stand out have been divergence and pre play trading. Namely, I have started looking to trade markets before they kick off more than I did previously, when price swings are possibly more rational and don’t suffer from liquidity issues. Secondly, I have expanded the range of markets that I trade; incorporating the likes of Rugby Union and European football using the same basic principles that I have learned.

What is also pleasing is that I have largely been very consistent. I have traded 20 markets this year, and only one of these markets shows a loss. That was a small pre match trade in Valencia v Espanyol where I lost £1.86. All other markets have showed a profit. Even when I dipped into the 3rd test market of England v South Africa on the last day, I managed to make a penny! I expect that one of my 0-0 scalps will soon get caught out but I am confident enough in my overall strategies that this will just be a blip in the road and an inevitable fact of my trading.

As they say, every little helps and my trades this year will certainly help to go shopping in the Sales just as soon as I can actually stay on my feet when I go out! My trading has definitely improved so far and has benefited from greater consistency and clarity of thought. Now, if only it was so easy to make similar changes in my personal life!!