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Practice, Practice, Practice

Let’s be brutally honest, there is no easy way to react to trading losses. If you are expecting me to give you a magic formula, then I am really sorry, as I don’t have one. Going trough losses is not easy because, for many, these are your hard earned money and of course it will be painful. However, every time you feel the pain from losing, you have gained new perspective to how “pain” feels like. From personal experience, I can honestly say this – it only gets easier because you start to know how your emotions will react and to a certain extend, you get immune to it.

Some would think that getting immune to losing is not a good thing. Agree, but you’re missing the point. When you are immune to losing, it is because you understand yourself better and you are better at managing your expectations and emotions. More importantly, when you are immune, you are emotionless and you can focus more on making rational decisions.  And that is the ultimate goal of staying positive.

Trading, Gambling, Praying

Intuition is not free

If you are thinking about exiting, it is too late. You are praying at that point. If it is in your plan for your targets to get hit, up or down, continue what you are doing. If you are just hoping your stop does not get hit, on behalf of the market, thank you. I am making the assumption that those who post or say that their stop is going to get hit have discretion in their system. The problem is not this trade it is the hundreds or thousands you will take after that. There is a reason you wanted to get it, that is intuition. If you cannot afford to not make money on a trade, you are fucked anyways.

You lost the lesson too

The market is constantly giving feedback. What happens after the “my stop is going to get hit” statement? What if the market goes in your direction? Are you going to get out at breakeven? Let it run? Take a small lost/gain? What are you going to do next time? The time after that? The outcome will affect your decision. The outcome you remember best will be the one that gives you the best psychological reward not financial rewards. Trading is about answers, not questions. Unanswered question impedes reactions and forces decisions. Decisions are bad over the long term.

Get out already (more…)

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