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HOW DISCIPLINE HELPS IN TRADING

“Discipline in executing each and every trade according to your trading methodology is the secret to your success. If you want to improve your trading, what you need to do is very simple. Before you enter any trade, imagine that you will have to explain this trade to a panel of your peers, by explaining to them the reason for your entry, your money, trade, and risk management guidelines, and why you exited the trade. Imagine having to explain why you chose this particular market and this particular time frame, along with how you set objectives for the trade, and how you determined where your initial protection would be. If you can truly do this, I strongly believe that you can be successful.

Just prior to entering every trade, try to imagine yourself executing the trade perfectly. Imagine how it will feel when you enjoy having made money with your trading.

Yes I know, you don’t have time to do that. Why? Because you never plan your trades ahead of time. You probably don’t have a strategy, and instead of waiting patiently for trade that meets your well-defined parameters and your thought-out plan, you just jump in the minute you think you see something that looks good.

You need to take a lesson from a spider. The spider waits patiently in his web until some unsuspecting insect flies into the spider’s trap.

Have you been flying into any of my traps? I wait for trades that meet my expectations, trades that fit my plan. I wait patiently, and being kind-hearted I don’t want any of my readers to land in my web. I’d rather the unsuspecting are readers of someone else’s newsletter. But it’s amazing how often I get to feed.”

40 Rules for Traders

1. Trading is simple, but it is not easy.
2.  When you get into a trade watch for the signs that you might be wrong.
3.  Trading should be boring.
4.  Amateur traders turn into professional traders once they stop looking for the “next great indicator.”
5.  You are trading other traders, not stocks or futures contracts.
6.  Be very aware of your own emotions.
7.  Watch yourself for too much excitement.
8.  Don’t overtrade.
9.  If you come into trading with the idea of making big money you are doomed.
10.  Don’t focus on the money.
11.  Do not impose your will on the market.
12.  The best way to minimize risk is to not trade when it is not time to trade. 
13.  There is no need to trade five days a week.  
14.  Refuse to damage your capital.
15.  Stay relaxed.

16.  Never let a day trade turn into an overnight trade.17.  Keep winners as long as they are moving your way.
18.  Don’t overweight your trades.
19.  There is no logical reason to hesitate in taking a stop.
20.  Professional traders take losses because they trust themselves to do what is right.
21.  Once you take a loss, forget about it and move on.
22.  Find out what loss parameters work best for your setup and adjust them accordingly.
23.  Get a feel for market direction by “drilling down” (looking at multiple time frames).
24.  Develop confidence by knowing and executing your trade setups the same way every time.
25.  Don’t be ridiculous and stupid by adding to losers.
26.  Try to enter a full size position right away.
27.  Ring the register and scale out of your position.
28.  Adrenaline is a sign that your ego and your emotions have reached a point where they are clouding your judgment.
29.  You want to own the stock before it breaks out and sell when amateurs are getting in after the move.
30.  Embracing your opinion leads to financial ruin.
31.  Discipline is not learned until you wipe out a trading account.
32.  Siphon off your trading profits each month and stick them in a money market account.
33.  Professional traders risk a small amount of money on their equity on one trade.
34.  Professional traders focus on limiting risk and protecting capital.
35.  In the financial markets heroes get crushed.
36.  Stick to your trading rules and you will never blow up your trading account.
37.  The market can reinforce bad habits.
38.  Take personal responsibility for each trade.
39.  Amateur traders think about how much money they can make on each trade.  Professional traders think about how much money they can lose.
40.  At some point all traders realize that no one can tell them exactly what is going to happen next in the market.

The secret to trading success: You.

The secret to trading success: You.

You are the weakest part of your system. It is a defeatist statement. It makes your expectation to fail easier to accomplish and more importantly it makes failure easier to handle. It shifts the pressure away from you and unto fate.

Would you fly on an airline if their motto was “Our pilots are the weakest part.” I do not think so. You are your system. Even if your system is automated you added the inputs, parameters.

Taking responsibility for your action is not easy. Taking control of the outcomes of trading or life is a huge responsibility. You will have moments of weakness, but you are not weak. The market does not go straight up and either does the road to success.

40 Trading Lessons

1. Trading is simple, but it is not easy.

2.  When you get into a trade watch for the signs that you might be wrong.

3.  Trading should be boring.

4.  Amateur traders turn into professional traders once they stop looking for the “next great indicator.”

5.  You are trading other traders, not stocks or futures contracts.

6.  Be very aware of your own emotions.

7.  Watch yourself for too much excitement.

8.  Don’t overtrade.

9.  If you come into trading with the idea of making big money you are doomed.

10.  Don’t focus on the money.

11.  Do not impose your will on the market.

12.  The best way to minimize risk is to not trade when it is not time to trade. 

13.  There is no need to trade five days a week.  

14.  Refuse to damage your capital.

15.  Stay relaxed.

16.  Never let a day trade turn into an overnight trade.

17.  Keep winners as long as they are moving your way.

18.  Don’t overweight your trades.

19.  There is no logical reason to hesitate in taking a stop.

20.  Professional traders take losses because they trust themselves to do what is right. (more…)

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