“Mastering the mind, mastering the market”
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One day, after a series of particularly terrible trades, I realized one thing: it wasn't the market that beat me— it was me. The fear of loss and my greed for quick wins had controlled everything. That was when I read Mark Douglas's Trading in the Zone, and everything changed.
Douglas analyzes what most traders never realize: success is not about predicting the market—it's about following a process. He teaches that the market operates on probabilities, and if you don't trust your system or let emotions cloud your decisions, you will self-sabotage. This is a must-read for anyone serious about trading.
Here’s what helped me turn things around:
• Risk first, reward second: I began to decide my loss level before each trade. This made it easier for me to make decisions and eliminate fear.
• Follow the plan: If there is no setup, there is no trade. It’s better to sit still than to force a bad position.
• Don’t care about the outcome: I stopped trying to win every trade. My job is to execute my plan, not to predict the market.
• Rest: After a loss, I would often take revenge by trading. Now, I step outside, calm down, and come back with a clear mind.
Looking back, I wish someone had told me earlier that trading is about mastering oneself rather than mastering the charts.
