Mind Over Markets

On this episode of Mind Over Markets, we are taking a closer look at our emotions and - most importantly - our emotional awareness. Emotional awareness is more than just being aware of what moods you’re experiencing. It’s about being able to manage and maintain these natural feelings. All of our emotions lead to thoughts, and you have to be able to manage your emotions before they start to negatively influence your decision-making on the trading floor. Think back to our earlier episodes. Remember when we said all emotions are based in the subconscious mind? That’s because our lizard brains are designed to react to perceived threats with a fight-or-flight response. Emotions trigger this kind of response, but fight-or-flight is really dangerous if you’re a trader. What we’re talking about on this episode are ways you can learn to identify and interrupt this natural pattern before it takes over and starts controlling you and the way you trade.  We’re both sharing our different strategies for maintaining emotional awareness, but first you have to understand what emotions we’re talking about. Take a look at the 8 basic human emotions, and ask yourself which ones often get the better of you: Anger Sadness Fear Joy Interest  Surprise Disgust Shame No matter who you are, you’ve experienced at least one of these emotions this week - if not already today. You can’t really detach the integration of these emotions with your thoughts, but you can control your reaction to these emotions, and that’s what we’re diving into today. Whatever emotion you bring into the trading space, that’s the emotion you’re going to operate in. If you’re an optimistic person, you’re going to have a more optimistic trade experience. But if you’re an angry person, you’re going to be an angry trader, and you might not be too happy with those results. So tune in right now if you’re ready to learn more about your emotions, where they come from, and how to manage them. Because maintaining emotional awareness as a trader is the first step in developing that peak performance state of mind we all need to be the best day traders we know we can be. In This Episode You Will Learn Why and how emotional awareness influences our thoughts and our decisions 0:52 The eight basic human emotions we all experience 12:00 2-WEEK POWER CHALLENGE: The negative emotions you need to control most 25:40 The importance of journaling your emotions while trading 32:02 George’s MCM and other strategies for managing emotions while trading 36:06 How to interrupt your negative emotions at the neuro-physical level 44:32 Some Questions We Discuss Why is fight-or-flight mode so dangerous to traders? 3:03 Why is too much joy just as dangerous as too much fear? 16:35 How can we fight off these negative, forced emotions? 28:25 What are the 5 main components of our emotions? 33:30 What strategies does Mark use to manage his emotions? 39:20 What are session check-ins and why are they important? 48:32 Why is it so hard for humans to be emotionally aware? 51:12 Resources Connect with us online: Trade Pro Academy Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast George’s favorite book from today’s episode: Power vs. Force by David R Hawkins

Exploring the subconscious influences on decision-making in trading, balancing value and habit-based decisions, common challenges for new traders, importance of developing good decision-making habits, analyzing high-volume trading challenges, conflict between gut feelings and trading plans, making informed purchase decisions, individualized trading strategies for success

Get ready! We’re flipping the script completely today here on Mind Over Markets. Your host, George Papazov, just finished writing his first book and we’re asking him all about it. You’ll discover the inspiration behind his book and the motivations that led him to finally put pen to paper. You’ll even find out how he came up with the title - Path to Profit: A Trader’s Journey to Success. What George shares with us today is that writing a book is a very vulnerable project. But being able to share his story and his journey with fellow trade pros like us is worth every bit of the struggle. Back in our day, when we were first stepping into professional trading, it was really hard to access other successful traders and learn from their stories. Being able to learn through Geroge’s story and what he’s been through is an extremely empowering process and can make you a better trader.  That’s why George included personal questions and exercises at the end of each of his chapters, and we go into some of those exercises today. Path to Profit is more than just an autobiography. Reading this book is like a mindset meditation that can help you on your own journey to trade success. We all know that everyone’s journey is different, and rather than force one kind of strategy on you, George opens the floor to let you explore your options and learn from his experiences. You’ll also hear about some of the big challenges George faced while writing, including how hard it is to actually think of a title. Some of the surprises he faced during this process might surprise you as well, so listen carefully to the nuggets George is sharing today. Especially if you’re considering writing your own book. It’s always hard to open up and reveal your personal story, but George is proof that sharing it with others is the best way to learn, and you can learn a lot just by listening to this episode. Tune in now for the big secret that George reveals at the end of this podcast, and also in the end of his new book Path to Profit: A Trader’s Journey to Success! In This Episode You Will Learn: That your host George Papazov wrote his first book 1:06 How to find the inspiration to write a book 6:33 Your personal journey will never be a straight line 7:50 The significance behind the title of the book “Path to Profit” 12:20 What kinds of questions and exercises are at the end of every chapter 16:45 All about George’s sense of hustle and how it’s impacted his trading 24:30 The biggest highlight of Path to Profit: A Trader’s Journey to Success 31:36 Where you can leave us a review on iTunes 39:18 Some Questions We Discuss: What do you think makes a good story? 2:10 What was George’s favorite chapter to write? 5:45 When did George realize he wanted to write a book for other trade pros? 9:46 What challenges did George face while writing his book? 13:28 What surprised George the most while writing Path to Profit? 19:11 What is George’s biggest motivation? 28:25 Will George spill a secret this episode? 34:00 How can you flip the script on failures and look at them as feedback? 36:13 Resources Connect with us online: Trade Pro Academy Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast Read George’s New Book: A Path to Profit: A Trader’s Journey to Success Other books mentioned in today’s episode: Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders by Jack D. Schwager

If you never thought of trading as a sport, this episode of Mind Over Markets is going to blow your mind. Because you’re more like a professional athlete than you think. Just like playing a professional sport, pulling off trade strategies requires a lot of mental strength and acuity. There’s a lot of competition - and a lot of pressure - out there on the trade floor, and your mental toughness is going to make or break your trading success. Mental toughness is at the core of today’s episode. It’s a term we picked up from one of our favorite books - The New Toughness Training in Sports. In this book, mental toughness is likened to a psychological edge athletes have which allows them to take on the mental, emotional, and physical challenges of the professional arena. Trade pros can develop this same psychological edge by strengthening their inner selves. What do we mean by “inner self”? Well, that’s another concept we’re going into on today’s episode because your mental toughness depends on the strength of your inner self. Think of it this way - inside of you are two people: one is the performer, and the other is the real you. When you’re trading, you’re in performance mode, but that doesn’t mean the real you isn’t participating. Your success on the trade floor depends on how in sync your performance self and inner sef are. When you strengthen your inner self, you give yourself the ability and, more importantly, the confidence to take on those challenging trades and cope with any snags or losses that might come your way. We’re sharing a few techniques today to help you develop your mental toughness, and these strategies will give you the tools you need to strengthen your inner self. Here’s a closer look at the 12 Key Attributes of Athletes that we go over in this episode and how they apply to trade pros: Switching your focus between performance mode and real mode to hone your competitive edge Remaining fully focused in the performance arena despite personal life distractions Thriving under pressure and using competitive energy to bring out the best in yourself Ignoring social media and not being adversely affected by others’ performances Accepting that competition is inevitable and planning ahead Pushing boundaries and battling back through physical and emotional challenges Regaining and maintaining psychological control, even after a particularly bad day Remaining fully focused and maintaining a mental focus meter Finding your internalized motivation for success Having an unshakeable belief in yourself that builds your confidence Bouncing back from setbacks and looking at them as growth opportunities Having an unshakeable belief in your ability to achieve your goals As we go over these key attributes today, you’ll recognize that your sense of self-worth is at the core of each of them. Your belief in yourself and trusting in your trade abilities makes up more than half of your success. Negative thinking will only inspire negative actions, and learning how to apply these athletic attributes to your daily and professional life will hone your mental toughness and definitely give you a brand new, optimistic perspective. Mental toughness isn’t something you’re born with. It can be learned and you can learn how to strengthen it just like a muscle. Everyone possesses the ability to build their confidence, it just takes practice. We want to challenge you guys to cultivate a success mindset and mental toughness with these key attributes in mind. Because competition is inevitable. You’re inevitably going to face pressures in this industry, but you have the power to choose how you respond to these challenges. This kind of mindset will keep propelling your forward through your trade career, and each of these podcasts are opportunities for you to learn and grow. If you’re ready to take the challenge head on, then this is the episode for you.  In This Episode You Will Learn How psychology and mental toughness can influence your trading success 1:47 What it means to achieve IPS: the Ideal Performance State 3:40 The reason trading strategies don’t always work 11:51 The key attributes of athleticism that apply directly to trade pros 16:20 How to use mental toughness on social media and in other communities 24:50 Using a toward-motivated mindset to regain your psychological control 33:21 Questions to ask yourself to uncover and understand your trading motivations 41:55 The top 3 key attributes of athletes and trade pros 44:42 The ability to bounce back from any trading setbacks 51:37 How to develop your mental toughness like a muscle 61:00 Some Questions We Discuss Who coined the term “mental toughness”? 1:08 In what ways are professional traders and professional athletes similar? 7:25 What kind of trading career are you going into? 13:30 How do we thrive so well under the pressures of trading? 19:31 Why are the stories about failure more important than the successes? 30:41 What is George talking about when he says “mental capital”? 35:43 What is the real definition of “internal motivation”? 40:45 Do you have a plan in place to help you handle losses? 47:37 How can you recreate success and avoid losses? 56:15 What are we going to be talking about in our next episode? 59:20 Are you afraid you can’t develop your own mental toughness? 63:00 Resources The New Toughness Training in Sports by James E. Loehr

Learn about the psychology behind setting New Year's resolutions and how to make them stick using Neuro Linguistic Programming. Discover the importance of setting clear and aligned goals for motivation and direction. Explore how setting financial goals can support loved ones' passions and empower your goals with affirmations.

Explore the impact of self-worth on trading success - value yourself beyond external factors. Social media influence, comparison, and intrinsic value discussed. Embrace personal progress, gratitude, and positive self-talk for enhanced self-worth.

Explore the power of positive thinking and how thoughts shape reality. Learn how positive words influence plant growth and trading success. Join the 9-Day Positivity Challenge to cultivate a positive mindset. Empower yourself to attract success and overcome challenges with a positive mindset.

Unpacking the subconscious secret to motivation, the podcast dives into the importance of values in determining motivation styles. The exercise provided helps identify towards and away motivations, with a focus on personal growth and self-realization. The conversation showcases the shift from fear-driven to fulfillment-focused motivation, emphasizing progress, happiness, and sustainability. The chapter also explores the significance of sustainability and legacy, setting the path to personal growth and transformative self-improvement.

Exploring personal values and their impact on decision-making and goal achievement. Discussing the importance of aligning behaviors with core values for success. Uncovering childhood values and the need for self-awareness in adjusting them. Emphasizing aligning personal values with life goals for fulfillment. Delving into the influence of personal values on career decisions. Highlighting the role of affirmations in shaping subconscious beliefs for trading success.

Discover the power of your subconscious mind in trading and personal growth. Learn about the 20 prime directives of your unconscious mind and how to align it with your goals. Explore forming positive habits, integrating conflicting aspects, embracing challenges, and navigating transitions for success.