Discipline: “Habit of Obedience”
Have a trading plan or system is essential to the exercise of good discipline, as it normally imposes certain parameters and sets out certain criteria which dictate how trading decisions should me made and what needs to be done in certain situations. Habitually following your plan is what is meant by the exercise of good trading discipline, which, in turn, will help you realize the best expected results possible from your plan. If you find that your trading plan or system is not meeting your expectations, despite habitually following it for a reasonable period of time, good discipline requires that you be prepared to review it and make any adjustments or fine tuning necessary for future use.
Lack of Discipline
Day traders who suffer from lack of discipline often allow their emotions to rule their trading decisions, which often leads to bad decisions and unacceptable trading losses. Never allow your emotions to rule your trading. In order to trade successfully, you must develop a trading plan. (more…)