Traders blame themselves all day long for not having the discipline to stick to their system.
You’ve done it. I’ve done it. Everyone does it.
Seems like a natural conclusion that if you’re not sticking to your system, and it’s just you, your system and the markets, then the problem must be you. Right?
Can’t be the markets.
Can’t be your system.
Or can it?
The Culprit Hiding in Plain Sight
Is it possible that your trading system itself can be causing you to hesitate, freeze up, get out early, or over trade?
Having helped traders work through their issues for more that 6 years, I can definitely say “YES!”
With nearly 98% of my clients, the same problem existed.
We isolated WHEN their emotions would flare up and then took a closer look at their system, we found a direct correlation.
This was a very clear evidence that their system really was the culprit behind their ‘discipline breakdowns’.
It makes complete sense too.
After all, they aren’t normally ‘undisciplined’ people. They demonstrate good discipline in numerous aspects of their lives.
They have also demonstrated achieving success already in their lives, so it’s not a fear of failure or success.
They’re okay with money, making money and accumulating it, because otherwise they wouldn’t be in a position to trade.
So the problem logically is NOT one of discipline, it must be something else.
A Huge Mistake Traders Make
It’s easy to think that just because you have a good strategy in hand, that you also have a solid system.
But the two are not one and the same.
You can have a very sound strategy, and even a proven method, but a lousy system.
This happens all the time, even to professional traders and trading system creators.
And if you try to trade with a system that has functional issues, it will affect how well and how consistently you trade.
How The Quality of Your System Affects You
When you try to trade with a system that is poorly constructed or is lacking certain qualities, it makes it difficult to follow and use.
You hit those points in your system where ‘what to do’ is confusing or unclear – you’ve probably experienced this at least once if not many times.
Those weaknesses in how your system is constructed are essentially ‘invitations’ for your emotions to come in and make the decisions that should be made by your better judgment.
When your emotions flare up, it is often your subconscious letting you know that something isn’t right.
Another Gross Error – And The Real Root of The Problem
No one seems to question the quality or user-friendliness of their trading system.
They only challenge the strategy or indicators and rules used in the system.
The error and root of the problem is that everyone thinks they know how to properly document a system, when if fact they don’t.
As a result, they don’t really know how to recognize a good system (in contrast to strategy or method), or fix one that has issues.
Because they lack this know-how, they live with disappointing results, needless beat themselves up for not being disciplined, and/or continually change systems looking for one that works, passing over several winners simply because they didn’t see them or know how to capitalize on them.
How to Make Sure Yours Is Indeed a Good System
This starts with how you document your trading system.
To help you make sure your system is user-friendly and documented in a way that makes it easy to follow and trade consistently, I’ve created a simple 3-step process for you.
Watch the video that explains the process at http://tradingsystemmastery.com/simplifier/
Always keep in mind that trading psychology means more than just focusing on being more disciplined.
There are actually four main aspects of the psychology of trading and until you tend to all four, your struggles will continue.