Trade with your personality
Regardless of what has been working for other people, you have to trade a system that suits your personality. It either has to compliment your strengths, overcome your weaknesses or both. That is not to say that a system that someone else creates cannot work for you, but you have to figure our your own unique way of trading it.
You have to have an edge
You have to have a specific, definable edge over the market. Like with any other endeavor, if you are not skilled, you will not do well. The best traders understand the edge that they have over the markets and constantly exploit it for profit.
Work hard, work smart
All of the top traders worked hard to refine their technique and constantly improve themselves in order to become better traders. It is not only about putting in a lot of hours, it is also about being open to ways of improving that may seem foreign or strange at the beginning.
No loyalty to a position
Top traders know how to cut losses short and take profits when the target is hit. They don’t get too excited about a position and make a business decision to take the profit or take the loss, based on the parameters of their system.