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7 Signs You Know You’re Maturing As A Trader

Often times, we measure our success as a trader by our account value, whether it has grown, perhaps doubled in size, or whether we have lost and are under water.  Unfortunately, this is really a myopic way of measuring our success in trading.  If this was the true benchmark, then for my first 6 mos of trading, I must have been a rock star turning 3k into 83k.  How did I do it?  Over-leveraging to the hilt and having the most unbridled approach to the markets.  If you measured success by my account,then no doubt after the first 6 mos, I was a successful and mature trader.
But then, if you looked at the next 6 mos, I would have been the biggest failure of a trader in history, losing almost all of the 83k (save for 12k) in a period half that time.  What happened to that really mature, successful trader just a few months back.  Where did he go?  Which one was the true measure of me? Which one was the most accurate description of my success as a trader?
The answer is neither, and that is why I am writing this article which I think you will find informative about how your trading process is going, where you are at, and how you can gauge your development.  So here are 7 signs you know your maturing as a trader.
#1 First You Manage Risk, Then You Manage Reward
The entire 2008 financial crisis was built upon the opposite of this principle, seeing reward while missing the inherent risks of one’s actions.  Some people were smart and were able to see the upcoming cliff ahead – not by looking at what they can make, but by what they were risking by taking on such an investment.  Don’t fall into this trap.
So many traders in the beginning stages of their trading process decide whether to get in a trade because of the ‘potential‘ profit.  They think, ‘this trade has a huge profit potential and its going to win (optimism bias) so my risk doesn’t matter too much’.
The problem is when you see the end of the rainbow and chase after it, you often fail to see the cliff you are about to fall over.  It causes you to miss things in the chart which may be alarm bells or subtle details this trade is going to fail.  It causes you to have tunnel vision while crossing the street in rush hour traffic.  It can also cause you to take trades outside your trading plan and deviate from your discipline – all of these are disastrous to your account, and to building discipline which is the foundation of successful trading.
You will know you are maturing as a forex price action or ichimoku trader when you first look at all aspects of risk, (% equity, time risk, event risk, etc.), then start looking at your upside.


#2 You Are Completely Relaxed When Making Trades
Good trades, bad trades, mistakes, perfect entries, eventually they all blend into the same thing and become just another trade.  You don’t feel like it’s do or die with each trade.  You do not feel like your entire success or failure as a trader is bound up in this one trade.
If you made a really good trade, sure your happy, but it’s nothing special and your still relaxed, calm and focused on the market.
If you make a bad trade, your not berating yourself, not labeling or defining yourself as a failure of a trader, not thinking this is the end.
Make a trading mistake?  No worries since your as calm as a hindu cow and don’t panic at all – you’ve been there before.  You simply analyze the situation and find the best solution out of it.  Think of how an experienced war pilot would deal with challenges – they analyze the situation, assess the key difficulties, then find the best solution.  This is what you do and your relaxed regardless of the trade.
On the flip side, you don’t feel the need to brag or inflate your ego after making a good trade.  You don’t feel the need to show your friends, or make a video about it, you’ve been in the end zone before, and you know you’ll come back again.  Shortly after you’ve made a big winner, you get back to business because you have more work to do and know the next danger could be right around the corner (or the next opportunity).
#3 You Don’t Force or Chase Trades
If you miss a trade, so what, you know there will be another around the corner and your not thinking ‘this is the big one‘ like Redd Foxx in Sanford and Son.  You also don’t chase trades that you missed, getting a worse price.  No, you wait for your price, and you’re willing to miss a trade to do this.  This allows you to trade on your terms, not the market luring you into a position whereby you have to get a poorer entry or take on more risk just to get it.
You don’t force anything, and just wait for the trades that come to you.  The market will be there tomorrow, another great trade will be there in a few hours, or the next session.  You’re not feeling like you’ve lost the mother lode every time you miss a trade.  If you see something that comes on your radar screen, you jump on it and don’t let it pass you by.  If you happen to miss it for any reason, you let it go – your not a dog chasing a fire truck.

#4 Trading is Not Your Daily Adrenaline Fix or Entertainment
I cannot tell you how much I felt like a junkie every time I would trade the markets in my early days.  It’s understandable – such a new thing, you can work from home, you can make more money then you are now (a lot more), you don’t have to wear some stupid outfit or do what some mediocre boss tells you to do. You can trade on the beach (although your battery might run out soon), you can make money real fast, basically…you can do a lot of things never possible with some ordinary job.
The markets are not for your entertainment – casinos, movies and sports are, not trading.  The market is a very serious business and I guarantee you, your competitors who are making money day in day out are taking this very seriously.  Trading successfully, especially after thousands of trades will almost become boring.  Not that the markets don’t present a fresh challenge each time, it’s always something new, and always a puzzle.
But don’t make it your source of entertainment or adrenaline in life.  You know you are doing this when you feel a huge loss of energy when the markets close on Friday, as if your being cut off from a life force.  You know your doing this if making a trade with big lots feels like your jumping off a bridge.
Trading is an arena to make money, to face yourself in the mirror, to build a successful trading mentality, all while challenging your discipline and ability to find opportunities day in-day out.  That is all.  When you stop making it an emotional/adrenaline bungie-jump/daily entertainment, you’ve settled in the saddle.
#5 You Follow Your Trading Plan
Day in-day out, you follow your trading plan.  Whether you’ve had a series of losses, or had a massive series of wins, your discipline remains the same.  You trade like a sniper taking out one target after another.  You don’t count your chickens because you know nothing is certain in this market and the winds can change on a dime.  In as many situations as possible, you are patient, disciplined, and rely upon your trading plan.
Yes, your systems will not catch every opportunity out there – so what?  No system ever will, and that is now what you are trying to do.  You stay focused on your system, and learn how to leverage the edge and strengths of your system, like a driver that knows his race car – what are its limits, what are its weaknesses, and what are its strengths.  Every time your discipline wavers, you put your trading and account at its greatest risk.  Every time you follow your trading plan, you put a stone in the pillar of your success.
pillars of trading success 2ndskiesforex
#6 You’ve Stopped Looking For The Holy Grail
It’s convenient to think there is one solution to all your money problems, one solution to your inability to follow a trading plan, one solution to your inability to deal with the uncertainty of the markets.  How convenient, how rosy a world this would be.  I cannot tell you how many times I hear from prospective students, ‘I just need a system that has an edge, that makes money…if I had this one system, I would be fine.
Sound familiar?
Anytime I hear this, I realize this person doesn’t realize what trading is about.  So what do I do?  I give them the same systems I have to other people who have made money from it day in-day out, month in-month out.  And what do they do?  They lose money while my other traders are making money.
These people have tried everything, looking for the holy grail, looking for that one thing that will solve all their problems.  When you have spent as much time experimenting with systems as you have your own psychology, discipline, and trading plan, then you’ve matured as a trader, because you realize there is no holy grail.  You realize your edge more often lies in risk management (the risk of ruin tables you should know), and a successful trading mentality.  Once you’ve stopped looking for the easy way out, you start to do the real work.
#7 Your Worth as A Trader and Your Worth as A Person Are Two Separate Things
You know you have really matured as a trader when you realize your success or failure at trading has little to no reflection of your worth as a person.  You do not tie your worth by how much you have in your account, and you do not accept yourself only if you are successful, while berate yourself for any failures.  Trading will never be a reflection of who you are as a person, nor will the size of your bank account.  There are many people with bank accounts to last them lifetimes while being the most empty beings in the world, bereft of any sensibility, humanity and kindness.
Because you do not tie your worth as a person to your trading, you are free to embark upon the adventure whole-heartedly.  You’re willing to really risk free from all the psychological complications and emotions which bind you.  You’re willing to fail, and because you are willing to fail (and you will), you are willing to learn, to not take it personally.  When you stop making it personal, or are willing to fail, then you can really put all of you into the experience because nothing is holding you back.  Then your trading can truly take flight.
I hope you enjoyed this article on 7 signs of a expert forex trader and found it a useful reflection of where you are in your trading process, how to avoid the mirage on the horizon that disappears once you approach it, and how to keep your eyes on the target, constantly looking for growth and development as a trader.
I welcome your comments and feedback.
Kind Regards,
Chris Capre
Facebook; 2ndSkiesForex

35 thoughts on “7 Signs You Know You’re Maturing As A Trader”

  1. Hello Chris,
    Glad I found this article. I have a series of losses right now in options market, thought i can make a living with this after a series of wins last month, but things never goes smoothly as i want it to. Got my trading system already, but sometimes I doubt about it…. And again it brings to a lose position. How do you manage to control yourself ?

    1. Hello Lisa,
      Tis a legitimate question.
      I’ll answer with a few words:
      ‘Through training – both of the mind, and in the markets’
      Hopefully this gives you something to ruminate on.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris Capre

  2. Wow!!! Spot on article. I’ve been trading forex for just a little over two years now. You nailed it. Spot on. Thanks for sharing.

  3. I was recommended to read this article from a friend. I think its one of the best articles i’ve read so far. Thank you for this Chris!

    1. Hello Sowrabh,
      Thanks for the positive comments as I am really glad you liked this article so hopefully it has an impact on your trading.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris Capre

    1. Hello Jano,
      No particular reason – these are just some key ones that came to mind when I was thinking about my own process, and other traders I know.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris Capre

  4. A long time since you wrote the article but a good litmus test to guide progress.
    The main one I struggle with is “#4 Trading is Not Your Daily Adrenaline Fix or Entertainment”. The main reason is that since starting my education in Forex, I’ve found the topic so fascinating, mentally stimulating and the application of the concepts so rewarding (Profit or Loss) that I’m constantly wanting to read and learn more. Particularly now I’ve moved to Price action.
    Like a new fad except this one appears to be turning into a passion. 🙂

    1. Hello Grant,
      Yes, I’ve been quite ill and have not traded since Tues. am, so not feeling well at all and spending 24hrs a day just trying to recover.
      But good to hear Price Action is becoming a passion as its the most critical skill a trader can have.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris Capre

  5. Thanks Chris,
    Another great article, and I am very pleased that it is an outside affirmation that I am actually making real progress.
    Again, all my best.
    Stan

  6. Learning chart and technical study in trading is easy. Learning how to control our own mentality and attitute in trading is difficult. And finally I found it here!!!
    Many thanks!

  7. Very nice article. This reminds me very much of the 5 stages of the trader which I read at least once a month.
    This article will be a good addition to my monthly reading.

  8. Azlan Atputharaj b Abdullah

    Thanks Chris. Sorry didn’t notice your comment until recently. Really appreciate your support. Nobody has supported my trading activities even my wife and kids maybe because they don’t see forex trading as a legitimate business. I have been making very consistent progress over the last 2 mths and it’s very very rewarding. I remember reading your article about observing the 4 hr candle and it has greatly improved my trading. Thanks Chris.

  9. azlan atputharaj

    Thanks Chris.
    Your articles has always been very enlightening and very much in line with what I have realised after 5 years of trading forex fulltime (and a lot of losses). Losses are reducing now and profits are starting to trickle in and I hope the last 5 years have been worth it considering that I was stupid enough to leave my banking carrier to chase my dream of being a forex trader. It also seems to me that to become a trader also involves changing of mindset and that it also has some effect to some degree on the development of our human character? I hope I’m making sense. Thanks.

    1. Hello Azlan,
      Without great risk, great things are not achieved so leaving your banking carrier to become a full time trader takes boldness, but boldness is required in this industry.
      Yes, to become a successful trader, you have to change your mindset to tailor it to being successful, having the ability to be disciplined, being wealthy, good with money,
      understanding risk, and deal with ones emotions. All critical to your development as a trader but also to your human character so good intuition.
      Thanks again for being a fan of my work.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris

  10. Hi Chris
    Thanks for the article. Very and truly informative.If everyone can follow these principles they will get there. Its all the mindset that we have to build up to be a professional trader. You have been there and i hope all the traders can strictly follow these values.
    Thanks for the knowledge-Its free
    Can i know when your book is coming out please
    Thanks
    Prem

  11. Thought provoking article as always.
    What I really want to say though is thank you. As a mentor you started me on a journey that was not only forex focused but life changing too. It has been a wonderful, thought provoking, and challenging journey and I am so glad I am taking it. As each day passes, I find I am more and more focused on the future and all the exciting opportunities I will be able to enjoy.
    Sincerely,
    Judy

  12. great article, every new trader should read this kinda stuff to avoid going through the painful process of seeking the holy grail

    1. Hello Simon,
      Thanks for commenting – yes, so many new traders get distracted looking for the holy grail, they miss working on the important things which will lead to their development while also avoiding big losses of money and time they invest in their search for the holy grail so glad you mentioned it.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris

  13. Hi,
    I love your trading blog, you have such great insights. Ichimoku is a very underused indicator as well, so it is nice to see someone giving it some press, but don’t make it too popular or we won’t be able to trade with it anymore!
    Thanks!

  14. Good article, Chris. Trading can bring independence but there is definitely a tuition associated with learning. To my right I see your Forex Trade Signals post for today.

  15. Hi Chris,
    Thanks for the nice article. Trading has indeed exposed my own weaknesses for me to see. I surely have a ton of work to do and hopefully, with good guidance, I can mature as a trader and a person.
    Light, Life and Love to you…
    Nel

    1. Hello Nel,
      Yes, trading certainly exposes our weaknesses – if we really dig into it, this is unavoidable.
      But good to have an open mind and a willingness to work further as you certainly have the tools to mature as a trader.
      Kind Regards,
      Chris

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