Research In Motion's at Home in a Range

This column was originally published on RealMoney on Feb. 9 at 10:59 a.m. EST. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com readers. For more information about subscribing to RealMoney, please click here.

On Thursday, I talked with several traders about how difficult it can be sometimes to hold a trade that goes against you from the start. The stock doesn't pull back so fast or far that it triggers your stop, but you just start feeling bad about it almost immediately. Do you just sell it and move on, or do you sit there and slowly bleed to death?

I suggested that new trades be treated like new employees. When you are first hired for a job, you are expected to show up for work. But you aren't usually expected to hit the ground running as if you've been there for 20 years. You're given time to get your feet wet. Even the toughest taskmaster shows you where the coffee machine is. ...