Know yourself: The step that will change your trading

I’ve spent years immersed in trading. Years watching videos, reading books, testing strategies, downloading indicators, and exploring markets. Sound familiar? Like me, you’ve probably also invested a tremendous amount of time and energy into trying to figure out the secret of the market. And yet, you can still feel that consistency is slipping through your fingers.

Do you know what I discovered after all this journey? The problem was not the market, nor the strategies, nor the indicators. The problem was me.

When do you know you no longer need to learn more about trading?

There comes a point on this path where you realize that it's not about how much you know about the market. If you've already tested dozens of indicators, set up trading plans, read books, and maybe even explored advanced tools like order flow or algorithmic trading, then you probably already have the necessary technical knowledge.

What happens then?

The problem is no longer in the market. The problem is within you. You don't need another video, another book, or another strategy. What you need is to understand yourself.

The biggest challenge is not the market: it is yourself

I learned this lesson the hard way. I realized that my problem wasn't finding the best strategy; my problem was:

Leaving early out of fear.

I moved my stop loss because I didn't want to accept a loss.

Senselessly increasing positions out of greed.

Not sticking to my plan because I wanted to win faster.

You see? None of those things have to do with strategy or the market. They all have to do with how I manage myself. And here's the big secret: trading is not just a game of analysis; it's a game of emotions and decisions.

True learning starts with you

The more you know yourself, the better you will trade. The market tests you every day, not only technically, but emotionally. If you don't learn to manage your emotions, your decisions will always be influenced by fear, greed or frustration.

What can you do to get to know yourself better?

1. Keep an emotional trading journal:

Don't just write down the technical data of your trades; write down how you felt before, during, and after each trade. You'll be surprised how much you can learn about yourself.

2. Identify patterns in your behavior:

Do you always close out early? Do you have a hard time accepting losses? These patterns are not solved with a new indicator; they are solved with introspection.

3. Take breaks to reflect:

Sometimes we are so obsessed with finding the next trade that we don't take time to reflect on our mistakes and achievements. Learning doesn't happen when you're trading; it happens when you analyze what you did.

4. Find a mentor or support group:

Talking to someone who has been through the same thing can be eye-opening. A good mentor will not only teach you strategies; they will also help you understand yourself better as a trader.

Trading is a mirror

If the market has taught me anything, it's that trading reflects who you are. If you're impatient, you'll see it in your trading. If you're afraid of failure, you'll see it in how you handle your losses. If you seek external validation, you'll see it in your desperate attempts to win faster.

The market won't make you a better trader until you work on being a better person yourself. And no, it's not about perfection; it's about self-awareness. The more you understand your emotions, the easier it will be to make clear, objective decisions.

Conclusion: Know yourself to dominate the market

Trading is not just technique; it is an art that combines analysis, strategy and, above all, self-knowledge. If you have already tried everything and feel that you still lack consistency, you probably do not need more indicators or strategies. What you need is to look in the mirror and ask yourself: do I really know myself?

Remember, the market rewards those with clarity, and clarity comes from understanding yourself. So the next time you feel like the problem is the market, stop for a moment and ask yourself: is it the market or is it me?

Because the more you understand yourself, the better your trading will be. And believe me, the consistency you seek will not be so far away.

Thank you for reading me and #let'stalktrading