My big returns are due to the following:
1. When my trades are working, I get very aggressive and I bet big.
2. I'm not afraid of turnover.
3. I'm not afraid of reentering a stock I previously sold, even at a higher price as long as it meets my buy criteria at the moment.
4. I never get greedy and very often sell too soon into strength.
5. When few stocks meet my criteria, I'm not afraid of sitting in cash, even in the face of a strong index rally. I never get pressured into forcing trades outside my mandate. I never succumb to FOMO!
I'm in the process of selling an investment property. Over the years, I've done very well with real estate, but I have to say... I HATE THE REAL ESTATE PROCESS! Too much BS, too long, back and forth about nonsense, lawyers, etc. I LOVE STOCKS! Click... you own it. You want out? Click... you're out! Actually... IT'S LIQUIDITY THAT I LOVE.
How many of these mistakes can you say you NEVER make? If you want to trade like a champion, that should be your goal... not just making money, but how! When you can honestly say you don't make ANY of these mistakes, you will be transformed as a trader.
No matter how intelligent or dedicated... the blunt truth is, most investors will fail to achieve superperformance. The reason? It's not because of High Frequency Trading, "algos" or a rigged system. It's an unwillingness to fully commit to a strategy and follow rules religiously. Without consistent discipline, style and rule drift will always destroy your performance.