Speaking for myself, LB, I do not find your story to be "uncouth" at all. I find it motivating and exciting. Thanks for sharing.
(I was kinda glad, in a selfish, stupid way, that you had not reached a goal of something like $100M. I wouldn't know how to talk to you then! I can relate to the scale of your story, though.)
Your performance has been exceptional and shows an incredible discipline, which I aspire to attain. I, too, and on the verge of a similar goal based on a rollover of a 10 year old 401(k) into my IRA in January 1996. I am on the verge of quadrupling my portfolio value since then.
I spent 1996 buying and holding dogs of the dow, INTC, MSFT, CSCO and a few expensive forays into speculative trading.
My discipline through 1997 was not as good as yours (not even close), LB, but I learned so much and I was blessed with this wonderful bull market.
Advice to look at SI from a poster on Motley Fool was, in retrospect, the most valuable tip I ever had. I was suddenly able to listen to people who knew a whole lot more than I, as they discussed MSFT, CSCO, INTC, RMBS, QCOM and a few others. The insight that they shared caused me to stop second guessing why a stock was behaving badly and make less emotional decisions.
The second most valuable tip I ever got was coming to G/K thread. I found QCOM, UNPH, PMCS and a few other winners here. As important, I am learning practical lessons by example from folks like you.
Thanks, again, zoot man, for sharing your great story. You will see your next goal soon, I believe, perhaps before the time of your original goal of 2004, I hope so, and I plan to be here with you when it happens! |
