Being perfect is certainly not easy. Perfection is debatable, and needless to say, as challenging as can be. Matters become increasingly difficult when this is attributed to a trading environment or situation. Many traders end up setting their trades by focusing on what they want the results to be. They focus on the outcome of the trade, and do not give a lot of attention to the actual execution of that trade. This is in fact one of the main reasons why trading is so difficult. A trader can never hope to be perfect in his or her decisions. And, one can never hope for a perfect scenario, where any decision that is made results in a favorable result. Therefore the general rule of thumb that traders need to appreciate and get used to is that they need to perfect the decision making process and the execution of the trade, rather than hoping to make the results perfect. The choices, research, knowledge and information discerned are the steps that need to be perfected in the hope of perfecting the results of the trade in question.
Perfection also revolves around another issue in trading. The vast majority of traders worry a great deal about the outcome of their trading decisions. They experience a fear of losing out, and they do not want to risk a lot of their money either. They realize that in trading it is practically impossible to be perfect, and no matter how many years pass, and how many trades they do, they are still going to end up being imperfect.
Moreover, especially in the case of novice traders, it is normal to think that being a trader is a somewhat simple way to make money. They see the future as being rewarding and profitable – typically, a perfect way to become rich. Yet, they tend to underestimate the risks involved in trading and the various issues that revolve around making sound trading decisions and choices.
Trading is all about probabilities and possibilities. If a trader loses it does not mean that the world has come to an end, and that his/her trading career is over. Similarly, one win does not mean that such trader is experienced and knows all it takes to do well in the trading market. To be a professional trader one needs to understand that there are going to be a series of trades which form a trading plan, and there are going to be times when one wins, as well as occasions where losses occur. Therefore one can only hope to make well informed decisions following evaluations of data and other salient factors, so as to reduce the risks involved. Being cautious and consistent is the best way forward, and not trying or hoping to be perfect.
Many traders make the mistake of aiming for perfection. They develop a belief that perfectionism is risk free, and they think that trading is all about aiming for excellence. However this is all relative and despite the innate need for perfection, the truth is that trading is all judgmental and affected by countless factors.
Thus a trader should not try to be perfect. Aiming at perfection is not the key to success at all. Rather, one needs to focus on progressing and learning. Small wins can be much better for one’s experience and progression, than trying hard to make one perfect win. Even simply reducing losses is a positive situation that will contribute to progressing. So bear in mind that perfection is not the road you should try to take in trading. Instead aim for progression, because that is manageable, possible and sustainable, unlike perfection.
If you want your life as a trader to be easier and less stressful, you need to accept the fact that perfection is not attainable in any sector of life, and much less so in trading. So you need to give up on the hope of being perfect from the very start. You can manage to build a successful trading career around imperfection, because at the end of the day nobody is perfect. So, prior to starting your trading, come to terms with the fact that you are imperfect, just like anyone else. You have flaws and yet you cna do it. So at the end of the day it is all about self-acceptance. Unless you manage to teach yourself to do this, you are going to end up moving along the road of self-destruction. And you should not do this because perfection is ultimately beyond your control. You have to be strong, try not to exceed risk limits and make unplanned trades. A plan is always helpful to makes your moves more rational and reasonable. So rather than hoping for perfection, be progressive, reasonable and cautious. That is the one way to make your life as a trader more plausible and more likely to be successful.