Anyone having a hard time sleeping the past couple weeks because of TSLA?

[nursebee]

Awesome that everyone has received so much benefit owning the stock. Sell to the sleeping point is a good maxim for some. I have lost out on lots of gains selling winning stocks early, I'd now rather sell late. Fido sure aint selling yet! I slept well through 20% losses in initial positions, I am sure sleeping well now.

I'd suggest that profit takers are selling to the shorts.

If we hang out at current price range for a couple weeks the chart monkeys will be calling for $150 soon.

I find those that talk about specifics related to size (of positions) generally lacking couth.

Good day.

 

[DaveT]

So I've had some time to think about this thread the past week and here are some more thoughts:

1. I'm less anxious holding stock than holding options.
With stocks you can afford times where things lag and be much more patient with a long-term perspective. However, with options you are betting on timing. This is exponentially more difficult. Further, the options can become worthless as well (something that's much more difficult for stocks to do). So, the gains and the losses are more exaggerated.

2. With options, I feel like I need to be an expert on market and investor sentiment.
This is because I'm not just betting on the company in the long-run but with option (calls) I'm betting that the market/investors are undervaluing the company in the present and will realize that before the expiration date of my option call. This is more in the area of speculation (vs investing) and it's more difficult. Again, the gains and losses are exaggerated.

3. Warren Buffet has some decent advice for long-term investing.
Warren Buffett article link
Basically, he's saying if you found a good company (& ceo) with good long-term prospects then you don't need to worry about day-to-day fluctuations in market price. Telsa definitely fits the bill in my perspective. So, I should be less affected by day-to-day fluctuations but that's harder in practice than theory (esp. with price fluctuations of 10% in a day).

4. Fixation on stock price can distract me from other important things.
I'm not a day trader, so I have other things to tend to for my work. And watching stock prices all day isn't very productive to the other areas in my life. I've got to have some boundaries and focus on my work.

5. Be grateful.
It's been fortunate to own TSLA stock. How often does a stock triple in less than 6 months?

6. Think like a farmer.
Back to Warren Buffet, but I think it's helpful to think like a farmer who's growing a crop. He needs to have patience. He needs to wait for things to grow. It's no use for him to stress out either. Sometimes I think it's helpful to take a step back from the crazy/volatile world of TSLA stock and just relax. Trust that Tesla is in good hands (with Elon and his team) and will do very well over time.
* Here's a video of Buffet explaining his farm analogy (audio is not synced), Warren Buffett - The Stock Market Casino - YouTube

 

[blakegallagher]

owning options is definitely much less stressful than owning stocks. I have been too lucky with options to abandon them but where as my original position was 100 percent options it is now around 20 percent. I agree you should have some balance and be able to get a good nights rest .... unless your so excited over your gains ... go TSLA !!!

 

[DaveT]

You must have made some great gains with 100% options. More risk but more reward.

 

[blakegallagher]

I was 100 percent options when it was my first investment ever but I can not ever really see being at all options again! .... although I wish I had stayed that way ..... lol ... it quickly became to much to stomach.

 

[DaveT]

I was 100 percent options when it was my first investment ever but I can not ever really see being at all options again! .... although I wish I had stayed that way ..... lol ... it quickly became to much to stomach.

I'm at 20% options right now and it can be nerveracking especially when some of your options are worth less than what you paid for. Thankfully today rectified all of that.

 

[dmckinstry]

I won't have anymore trouble sleeping from worrying about TSLA stock I sold a little less than half my TSLA yesterday at $92.40. Yeh. I know it ended a little over $97 today, but I'm still not sorry as the sale paid for my Model S and income taxes for taking the cash out of my IRA. I'm going to hold the rest of my stock, unless there's such a rapid rise that I'm convinced I can sell some of it and re-buy when the price drops again.

 

[Convert2013]

I do actually worry about Elon Musk's security as he shakes up ICE car firms and big oil... He needs to be given special protection my Obama.

 

[kenliles]

I won't have anymore trouble sleeping from worrying about TSLA stock I sold a little less than half my TSLA yesterday at $92.40. Yeh. I know it ended a little over $97 today, but I'm still not sorry as the sale paid for my Model S and income taxes for taking the cash out of my IRA. I'm going to hold the rest of my stock, unless there's such a rapid rise that I'm convinced I can sell some of it and re-buy when the price drops again.

I wish I had your emotional basis then. I sold options at $95 and am sorry I didn't sell at $97. Ill be glad if I buy less than $95 and sorry if I have to buy above that as one or the other will confirm a correct decision, or amplify an incorrect one, thereby influencing the next one. If I had your emotional character I would have sold at $50 and not been sorry- that kind of result in trading never sits well with my emotional reaction.. You are to be congratulated.

 

[EU-P1422]

patience is a virtue

 

[Causalien]

I would normally suggest some of you to stop trading judging by your emotional states. But it's from buying TSLA so I think the damages shouldn't be too great. Every successful trader need that first volatile stock they trade to either desensitize them or bankrupt them. If you get out of this in one form or another, remember the emotional lessons. In TSLA, what you are experiencing now. It's called greed.

 

[Jonathan Hewitt]

I wish I had your emotional basis then. I sold options at $95 and am sorry I didn't sell at $97. Ill be glad if I buy less than $95 and sorry if I have to buy above that as one or the other will confirm a correct decision, or amplify an incorrect one, thereby influencing the next one. If I had your emotional character I would have sold at $50 and not been sorry- that kind of result in trading never sits well with my emotional reaction.. You are to be congratulated.

I almost sold the majority of my J14s yesterday to help with the stress thing but with the awesome rise for no real good reason I upped my sell point and it was never reached. I was thinking of lowering it back to the original value because I don't want to be greedy (several of my options are up several hundred percent) but TSLA seems like it could be very overpriced but who knows, maybe the value will come up to meet the price. I'm really wishing I had rebought in at the mid 80s but I don't think many if any of us expected it to break new highs just 2 days later. I knew I should've listened to all the people talking about bull flags on the yahoo message boards!

This stock is ridiculous.

 

[DaveT]

I'm bringing this thread back to life so folks can share any tips on keeping chill during this earnings week.

The past few months, I found the following the most helpful.

1. Daily long walks in the evening.
I've been taking long walks (45 minutes or so) in the evening for the past few months and it's helped me keep objective during the ups and downs of TSLA. There's something about the repetitive nature of walking that helps with processing and gives clarity of thinking. I'm sure this will come helpful this week too.

2. Warren Buffet on YouTube
I watched a bunch of Warren Buffet interviews and talks on Youtube over the past few months and I've gleaned some of his perspective and clarity on investing. For one, he's such a bull on the American economy. He looks at it with super wide lenses (ie., 100+ years) and is utterly confident the U.S. has the best system in the world. Second, he's an unwavering believer that the best investment is in world-class companies that produce products/services that people really want. Lastly, he's usually only invests in companies with a clear "moat" or competitive advantage that can last decades. Elon Musk often talks about First Principle in his interviews, and I think Buffet has got some great "first principles" regarding investing and the economy. It brings some clarity and much needed bigger-picture perspective.

Anyway, good luck to everyone this week with whatever decisions you're making.

 

[TSLAopt]

I'm bringing this thread back to life so folks can share any tips on keeping chill during this earnings week.

The past few months, I found the following the most helpful.

1. Daily long walks in the evening.
I've been taking long walks (45 minutes or so) in the evening for the past few months and it's helped me keep objective during the ups and downs of TSLA. There's something about the repetitive nature of walking that helps with processing and gives clarity of thinking. I'm sure this will come helpful this week too.

2. Warren Buffet on YouTube
I watched a bunch of Warren Buffet interviews and talks on Youtube over the past few months and I've gleaned some of his perspective and clarity on investing. For one, he's such a bull on the American economy. He looks at it with super wide lenses (ie., 100+ years) and is utterly confident the U.S. has the best system in the world. Second, he's an unwavering believer that the best investment is in world-class companies that produce products/services that people really want. Lastly, he's usually only invests in companies with a clear "moat" or competitive advantage that can last decades. Elon Musk often talks about First Principle in his interviews, and I think Buffet has got some great "first principles" regarding investing and the economy. It brings some clarity and much needed bigger-picture perspective.

Anyway, good luck to everyone this week with whatever decisions you're making.

good ideas...I like the Warren Buffet on YouTube one, ill have to try that one. I go for a long run/jog in the afternoon or workout with weights to help clear my head and give me clarity.

 

[austinEV]

I set my alarm for 7:05am (central time zone), check the after-hours premarket TSLA ticker. If its green I get another restful hour of sleep. If its not I toss and turn and update it every few min. Its a great system!

Oh and if its surprisingly green I toss and turn and update it every few minutes also. Great I tell you!

 

[Convert2013]

good ideas...I like the Warren Buffet on YouTube one, ill have to try that one. I go for a long run/jog in the afternoon or workout with weights to help clear my head and give me clarity.

+1. I do medium weights and a 10 minute run each session three times a week. Pumps the good chemicals- builds confidence, positive thinking and clarity of thought outside of feeling energetic. Did a session today and may do a short one tomorrow night so I am ready for Wednesday. Sleep has not been a problem. I think high level and am not reading much into the details- Elon is an ambitious guy, is very technical, business savy, hard working, takes care of his health (so it appears), and has a history of success. He's come this far and has built a great one of a kind product that is being accepted at high rates. No Fear baby! ;-)

 

[Jack6591]

Templeton Rye Whiskey......................The Good Stuff.

 

[sleepyhead]

Sleeping is not a problem for me (get it? haha). But I am having trouble focusing at work. I mean how can you focus at work when there are thousands of shares exchanging hands every second. I don't want to miss any of those transactions so I stare at the ticker all day.

 

[Convert2013]

Sleeping is not a problem for me (get it? haha). But I am having trouble focusing at work. I mean how can you focus at work when there are thousands of shares exchanging hands every second. I don't want to miss any of those transactions so I stare at the ticker all day.

Hey Sleepy.. same distraction here at work.. and I believe for a lot of people in this forum. It's like the late 1990's again, only just with one stock!

 

[30seconds]

its too early!!! although i wonder how / when i will ever get tsla to be "right-sized" in my investment portfolio now that the overweight alarms bells have silenced themselves from fatigue, I think that Q2 2013 is really not set to be a substantial up (unless Model S orders are >40k annually) or down (unless 6k units delivered with 0% margin) break point.

the easiest way I sleep is to consider the amount of technological and business disruption tesla is bringing onto the auto industry. out here in silicon valley it is what our dreams are made from.