The Bear Necessities

Keeping a clear head is very important when it comes to share dealing - and you can't do that if you're surrounded by clutter.

Trading decisions can seriously be affected when surrounded by a confetti of fag butts, discarded crisp packets, piles of screwed up paper, and out-of-date newspapers and magazines. Not to mention the beer cans!

Come now - you know exactly what I'm on about, you slob!

On the onset this might not seem like a very serious point, but I believe it is. Clutter will subconsciously put you under more pressure when making vital trading decisions.

Try it - keep a clear desk and a tidy office and your head will feel lighter and your trading decisions consequently better.

And don't overwhelm yourself with dozens of trading and TV screens in all corners of the room like some voyeuristic surveillance system in Sliver. Keep it simple. You don't need to start buying chart systems and complicated software to start trading.

All you need, if you're new to the game, is access to a site like ADVFN, where you can access news stories, fundamentals, charts and real-time prices. Once you've gained more experience, you can splash out on level 2.

But don't go buying multi-thousand pound systems if you're starting out either.

All this will do is clutter up your mind. Instead, keep that mind free to concentrate on just one thing: Is that share a good buy or not?

Your expensive systems, after all, are just computers. Stick to the simple stuff. Think Baloo Bear from The Jungle Book - it's all about the bear necessities!

One day, when you've made your million, then by all means fill your office with these impressive flashing machines - but, for now, just one screen and ADVFN will do.

If you were clutter-free last week, you may have held your nerve better than those surrounded by it during those bad down days. Loads of investors were panicked out of their good shares.

I held onto all of mine, and am very glad that I did too!

Shares going well for me right now are: Burren Energy (now up 120%), Croda (great statement) and Emerald Energy (powerful-looking oil play).

Two value shares I bought last week are also going well: Wyndeham Press and Broadcastle.

Results from Isotron proved cracking, going up 30p - but I'm holding on, for bigger rises I think are yet to come.

Right! I'm off now to clean my desk. Now where's that Mr Muscle…