Mid-life Crisis may be ?

[GCR99]

Where are all the customer's yachts? comes to mind.....

I don't feel so bad now, I only lost about £70K trading....compared to divorce it was pretty much a free learning exercise.

The problem with Day trading is people think its easy, and all they have to do is buy a big screen, open a broker trading account and rake the cash in. The reality is that 91% of people lose money because they leap in with no training or study of the markets. Would you jump in a plane and take off with no training, only hoping you'll be OK?
It takes years of study and experience to make consistent profits. Most new traders focus on making money, but a professional trader will concentate on protecting his capital. Cut your losses, run your profits. Newbies do the reverse.

[MrMarkyMark]

they leap in with no training or study

Sounds like a lot of offshore IT outfits.

[motoukenin]

You need to look at developing several small but profitable businesses , niche markets are best and they don't have to have anything to do with IT.

I currently have 6 small business interests , spend my lunch hour making sure that they are all working well , some are e bay based but they are all very niche , one of my businesses is selling rare model railway engines , makes between 400 - 700 per month on average but effort is minimal and just send boxes out on a weekend sometimes I get a real bonus and make 1200 - 1500 in a month but that is rare , my other businesses make similar amounts.

A lot of the work is in research and making sure that you get paid but don't pick things that have a crowded market place and stay away from selling cheap imports from China.

This gives me the benefit of not having to do IT every year , which is nice because although I cant stay out too long it feels as though I am not compelled to do it.

The down side is that you can quickly find yourself in the 45% tax bracket even if you take some of the cash as dividend you loose all of your tax free benefits so gets very expensive.

Best of luck

[NumptyPimps]

OP, it probably is a MLC thing... hit me at about 42 (am 48 now) and I remember it well. "I can't go on like this .. there must be more to life, everything is sh!t, woe is me" etc and I also thought I should chuck it all in and do something completely different.
I reckon you'll find it's just because you've had very few breaks from working over so many years .. all work and no play.. it gets to you eventually. It's not natural in fact.

Take a few months off (funds permitting) and do some hobbies and things that you would like to do. I reckon after a few months you'll be thinking back to the times when IT was fun and interesting for you (you've spent years doing it so it's not all bad really) and then wanting to learn more about that new version of ESX or Windows 2012 or whatever... Invest in yourself. That's really important.

Well that's how it goes for me anyway. But yes I agree with what others said too .. it is all cr@p really so think of some Plan B's for the future and how you could eventually lessen the amount of time in the year that you actually need to work.

[ChimpMaster]

OP, it probably is a MLC thing... hit me at about 42 (am 48 now) and I remember it well. "I can't go on like this .. there must be more to life, everything is sh!t, woe is me" etc and I also thought I should chuck it all in and do something completely different.
I reckon you'll find it's just because you've had very few breaks from working over so many years .. all work and no play.. it gets to you eventually. It's not natural in fact.

Take a few months off (funds permitting) and do some hobbies and things that you would like to do. I reckon after a few months you'll be thinking back to the times when IT was fun and interesting for you (you've spent years doing it so it's not all bad really) and then wanting to learn more about that new version of ESX or Windows 2012 or whatever... Invest in yourself. That's really important.

Well that's how it goes for me anyway. But yes I agree with what others said too .. it is all cr@p really so think of some Plan B's for the future and how you could eventually lessen the amount of time in the year that you actually need to work.

Good point about not having enough breaks. Exactly my situation - 10 years of hard slog with probably on average 10 to 15 days off a year (excl. bank holidays/weekends etc of course). Played it way too defensive, but in hindsight it has set me OK for the future.

[BlasterBates]

I'm currently stress testing my CFD portfolio.

FTSE at seven-month low, miner Kaz surges | Reuters

[original PM]

up until i turned 40 i was stressed

stressed mainly because I did not think i was doing a good enough job so I would work long hard hours trying to please everyone so I would not get sacked (have missus and 2 kids)

anyone hit 40 and had a bit of mid life crisis moment

and i just then thought why the fook am i getting stressed about

so had a word with myself and now I do not stress pretty much come and go as I please, wfh a day or 2 a week.

I realised it was not the job i was in but my attitude to it - do not get me wrong early on a few of the more 'choice d1<kheads' who i work with started trying to make a big deal of it - had a few choice words and they fe<ked off back into the woodwork

then had a chat with line manager and one of the directors and they said doing a great job, good to see you have started to be less rushed and more considered in your approach keep it up and things will continue to go well etc

so there you go was not the 'job' but my attitude to it

[ELBBUBKUNPS]

From this morning looks like I got to keep on working, went in partners bathroom draw thing to day to get a hair brush found 2 pregnancy testing kits used and they were both postive said 'Pregnant' on both . To say I'm in shock is an under statement she is on the pill. She left house before me this morning and told me she did the test today was going to tell me later face to face .... Shocked.com

[ChimpMaster]

From this morning looks like I got to keep on working, went in partners bathroom draw thing to day to get a hair brush found 2 pregnancy testing kits used and they were both postive said 'Pregnant' on both . To say I'm in shock is an under statement she is on the pill. She left house before me this morning and told me she did the test today was going to tell me later face to face .... Shocked.com

LOL no way!!!! But... CONGRATULATIONS!

That's hilarious, your Mrs tricked you into having sex

My Mrs is always broody for another kid, but I keep on telling her that 3 are enough.

[DimPrawn]

From this morning looks like I got to keep on working, went in partners bathroom draw thing to day to get a hair brush found 2 pregnancy testing kits used and they were both postive said 'Pregnant' on both . To say I'm in shock is an under statement she is on the pill. She left house before me this morning and told me she did the test today was going to tell me later face to face .... Shocked.com

Worse news to come, it's not yours.