Trader Mindset

Subscribe to the show Focusing on your process can keep you placated. It can also help prevent you from getting too emotionally invested in an outcome that you don't have any control over. This is good advice and something that can help in life also. We talked about having an expectation about a trade that you've been stalking for several weeks. One where you saw the set up a mile away, yet it reversed in your face. I've learned the hard way that such expectations have built in disappointments. When you focus on the process you go to bed at night having done your best - and that's all you can do. You're powerless over where the markets go. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show What parts of your process can you delegate and even improve your results? You can learn to trade and make money without being there. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show You can spend weeks stalking a chart and have the set up work perfectly, only to have the name reverse, sometimes in the same day. You put all this work in and the name doesn't have the common courtesy to go up... How do you feel about that? For some of you, it can lead to disappointment or anger. If that's the case, you can sometimes become derailed and trade on those emotions - whether you have systematized rules or not. It's important to remember that we are guests at the market's party and we're lucky enough to be invited in the first place. False breakouts and reversals don't care when you get long. Sometimes the market is not amenable to your trading style. It has nothing to do with you or your ability so you might consider not taking it personally. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show It happens from time to time that you make a huge win. You should celebrate it and understand that they don't happen all the time. Many traders will intuit that they are "on to something" and without any thought, start to trade larger. They also start trading names or asset classes outside of their core ability. Plan to grow methodically and not get to invested in the hubris that we can feel after large wins. Someone a lot smarter than me said "pride is a big banana peel." If you stick to trading a fixed percentage of your assets, you'll be fine. You can condition yourself to feel the same about all your trades - you're just following your system. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show What does trading mean for you in your life? What do you want your money to do for you? When you know the answer to some of these type of questions, figuring out the best asset class and trading style will be easier. Know and master yourself first, then figuring out the trading part is much easier. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show Attitude is the one thing that I can't teach you. I can help you change your paradigm and that in turn can help you have a good attitude. However, you're going to want to do the work. Sometimes attitude can carry you when nothing else is working. According to General James Mattis, to the "USMC, attitude is a weapon system." Think about that for a minute... How do you think you can use this information as you manage risk? Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show If you know someone who trades across asset classes and trading styles, they are likely gambling. A person becomes the casino when they stick to one asset class and one style of trading, and get that down cold. Making predictions, fading the Fed, and fighting the tape are all examples of gambling. Tell them to keep their opinions to themselves and focus on getting good at one thing, and grow from there. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show Many traders learning the craft are governed by the need for success for public purposes. Some like to peacock. Some are just flat-out greedy. You'll make a more progress sooner if you're clear about what your motivations are. In the end, consistent behavior predicts where you end up in life, not throwing around size trying for hero trades. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show A trader can gun for 100% RoR, but at what cost? You need to conjugate what you're doing with risk (and time). Your open trade equity shows allocators the risk that you're taking for the returns your endeavoring. Most allocators are looking at daily vol and risk-adjusted returns. If your ethos is to chase hero-sized returns, you have to know that those are often a result of good timing. And if you continually trade too big, it will catch up with you - it's just a matter of time. Slow and steady wins the race. Know what you're trading for. Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.

Subscribe to the show Commodities are cyclical whereas equities are secular. You can take advantage of that cyclicality by trading seasonally or by trading commodity spreads. When you combine that with good risk management and maybe some trend following tactics, guess what happens? Click here to get your free copy of The Inner Voice of Trading audiobook.