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Creating a belief that "I am a consistent winner" is the primary objective, but like my intention to become a runner, it's too broad and abstract to implement without breaking it down into a step-by-step process. So what I'm going to do is break this belief down into its smallest definable parts and then give you a plan to integrate each part as a dominant belief. The following sub-beliefs are the building Thinking Like a Trader 185 blocks that provide the underlying structure for what it means "to be a consistent winner."
I AM A CONSISTENT WINNER BECAUSE:
1. I objectively identify my edges.
2. I predefine the risk of every trade.
3. I completely accept risk or I am willing to let go of the trade.
4. I act on my edges without reservation or hesitation.
5. I pay myself as the market makes money available to me.
6. I continually monitor my susceptibility for making errors.
7. I understand the absolute necessity of these principles of consistent success and, therefore, I never violate them.
These beliefs are the seven principles of consistency. To integrate these principles into your mental system at a functional level requires that you purposely create a series of experiences that are consistent with them. This is no different from the boy who wanted to play with dogs or my desire to be a runner. Before he could play with a dog, the boy first had to make several attempts just to get close to one. Eventually, as the balance of energy in his mental system shifted, he could play with dogs without any internal resistance. To become a runner, I had to create the experience of running in spite of everything inside me that argued otherwise. Eventually, as the energy shifted more and more in favor of this new definition of myself, running became a natural expression of my identity. Obviously, what we're trying to accomplish here is far more complex than becoming a runner or petting a dog, but the underlying dynamics of the process are identical. We'll start with a specific objective. The first principle of consistency is the belief, "I objectively identify my edges." The key word here is
objectively. Being objective means there's no potential to define, interpret, and therefore perceive any market information from either a painful or euphoric perspective. The way to be objective is to operate out of beliefs that keep your expectations neutral and to always take the unknown forces into consideration. Remember, you have to specifically train your mind to be
objective and to stay focused in the "now moment opportunity flow." Our minds are not naturally wired to think this way, so to be an objective observer you have to learn to think from the market's perspective. From the market's perspective, there are always unknown forces (traders) waiting to act on price movement. Therefore, from the market's perspective, "every moment is truly unique," even though the moment may look, sound, or feel exactly the same as some moment logged away in your
memory bank.
The instant you either decide or assume you know what's going to happen next, you will automatically expect to be right. However, what you know, at least at the rational level of thinking, can only take into consideration your unique past, which may not have any relationship to what is actually happening from the markets perspective. At that point, any market information that is not consistent with your expectation has the potential to be defined and interpreted as painful. To avoid experiencing the pain, your mind will automatically compensate, with both conscious and subconscious pain-avoidance
mechanisms, for any differences between what you expect and what the market is offering. What you will experience is commonly referred to as an "illusion." In a state of illusion, you are neither objective nor connected to the "now moment opportunity flow." Instead, you become susceptible to committing all the typical trading errors (hesitating, jumping the
gun, not predefining your risk, defining your risk but refusing to take the loss and letting the trade turn into a bigger loser, getting out of a winning trade too soon, not taking any profits out of a winning trade, letting a winning trade turn into a loser, moving a stop closer to your entry point, getting stopped out and watching the market trade back in your favor, or trading too large a position in relationship to your equity). The five fundamental truths about the market will keep your expectations neutral, focus your mind in the "now moment opportunity flow" (by disassociating die present moment from your
past), and, therefore, eliminate your potential to commit these errors. When you stop making trading errors, you'll begin trusting yourself. As your sense of self-trust increases, so will your sense of self confidence. The greater your confidence, the easier it will be to execute your trades (act on your edges without reservation or hesitation).
I AM A CONSISTENT WINNER BECAUSE:
1. I objectively identify my edges.
2. I predefine the risk of every trade.
3. I completely accept risk or I am willing to let go of the trade.
4. I act on my edges without reservation or hesitation.
5. I pay myself as the market makes money available to me.
6. I continually monitor my susceptibility for making errors.
7. I understand the absolute necessity of these principles of consistent success and, therefore, I never violate them.
These beliefs are the seven principles of consistency. To integrate these principles into your mental system at a functional level requires that you purposely create a series of experiences that are consistent with them. This is no different from the boy who wanted to play with dogs or my desire to be a runner. Before he could play with a dog, the boy first had to make several attempts just to get close to one. Eventually, as the balance of energy in his mental system shifted, he could play with dogs without any internal resistance. To become a runner, I had to create the experience of running in spite of everything inside me that argued otherwise. Eventually, as the energy shifted more and more in favor of this new definition of myself, running became a natural expression of my identity. Obviously, what we're trying to accomplish here is far more complex than becoming a runner or petting a dog, but the underlying dynamics of the process are identical. We'll start with a specific objective. The first principle of consistency is the belief, "I objectively identify my edges." The key word here is
objectively. Being objective means there's no potential to define, interpret, and therefore perceive any market information from either a painful or euphoric perspective. The way to be objective is to operate out of beliefs that keep your expectations neutral and to always take the unknown forces into consideration. Remember, you have to specifically train your mind to be
objective and to stay focused in the "now moment opportunity flow." Our minds are not naturally wired to think this way, so to be an objective observer you have to learn to think from the market's perspective. From the market's perspective, there are always unknown forces (traders) waiting to act on price movement. Therefore, from the market's perspective, "every moment is truly unique," even though the moment may look, sound, or feel exactly the same as some moment logged away in your
memory bank.
The instant you either decide or assume you know what's going to happen next, you will automatically expect to be right. However, what you know, at least at the rational level of thinking, can only take into consideration your unique past, which may not have any relationship to what is actually happening from the markets perspective. At that point, any market information that is not consistent with your expectation has the potential to be defined and interpreted as painful. To avoid experiencing the pain, your mind will automatically compensate, with both conscious and subconscious pain-avoidance
mechanisms, for any differences between what you expect and what the market is offering. What you will experience is commonly referred to as an "illusion." In a state of illusion, you are neither objective nor connected to the "now moment opportunity flow." Instead, you become susceptible to committing all the typical trading errors (hesitating, jumping the
gun, not predefining your risk, defining your risk but refusing to take the loss and letting the trade turn into a bigger loser, getting out of a winning trade too soon, not taking any profits out of a winning trade, letting a winning trade turn into a loser, moving a stop closer to your entry point, getting stopped out and watching the market trade back in your favor, or trading too large a position in relationship to your equity). The five fundamental truths about the market will keep your expectations neutral, focus your mind in the "now moment opportunity flow" (by disassociating die present moment from your
past), and, therefore, eliminate your potential to commit these errors. When you stop making trading errors, you'll begin trusting yourself. As your sense of self-trust increases, so will your sense of self confidence. The greater your confidence, the easier it will be to execute your trades (act on your edges without reservation or hesitation).
Source:"Trading in the zone" by Mark Douglas
Trade well.
E.
