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The 30 Day Mindset Challenge: Will You Succeed?

trading habits challenge 2ndskiesforex

We are on the heels of June and I’ve decided to take on a new challenge.

For the entire month of June (30 days), I’ll be taking on not 1, not 2, but 7 new habits.

I definitely like a challenge, and for me – a successful mindset requires successful habits.

Hence I decided to announce this challenge openly to you and others, sharing all the details along the way.

But before I get into the nitty-gritty details, I need to talk about habits and why they are key to your brain & success.

key to profitable trading habits 2ndskiesforex

Why Habits Are Key To Your Success

For you to make money trading and achieve your goals, you’ll have to wire in successful habits.

But you currently have a problem. Your brain will do what it is wired to do most of the time (think 90+% on avg).

And your brain is not programmed to make money trading. So you’ll need to un/re-wire your current programming while creating a successful trading mindset.

Now how your brain is wired (wiring = habits) can be explained by one principle – neuroplasticity.

What Is Neuroplastcity?

Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to wire and make new connections. Its also the reason why you can unwire connections and bad habits.

There are two key terms for understanding neuroplasticity. They are:

1) SDN = self directed neuroplasticity

and

2) EDN= experience dependent neuroplasticity

To help you understand the above, just memorize the following statements:

1) Neurons that fire together wire together

and

2) Passing mental states = lasting neural traits

Now one thing that is implicit in the first statement is the following:

Neurons that fire apart wire apart

You’ve probably heard something similar in pop culture, such as the ‘use it or lose it‘ phrase. This statement is completely valid regarding your brain.

Habits are what you create by repetitive actions over a consistent period of time. Creating successful habits requires mental toughness because you’re fighting against your brain’s conditioning.

Once you’ve created a habit, your cognitive bandwidth is now available for other important activities.

Think of what your trading would be like if every time you spot a great trade setup – you pull the trigger without worrying about a loss. How would that help your performance on a day to day basis?

Hence your direct path to successful trading is to build successful trading habits.

habit quote aristotle successful mindset 2ndskiesforex

NOTE: If you want to learn my personal methods for wiring successful habits into your brain fast – check out my Advanced Traders Mindset Course.

Front End Work For Long Term Benefits

Building successful habits requires most of the work to be done on the front end. What do I mean by front end?

To wire in a new habit, you have to physically (and chemically) create a new series of connections. This takes (at a minimum) consistent repetition over time.

How long? For the expert at this – about 21 days is the fastest you can do this. 30 days would be more reasonable.

What if you are not working 4-8 hours per day trading at least 5 days per week?

You’ll need about 90-180 days.

From my experience as a trading mentor who’s turned many traders profitable, this is one of the biggest reasons why many never succeed. The habit wiring curve takes just a tad longer than most are willing to do consistently over time.

Do you change your pair, price action strategy or time frames if you don’t get the results you want in a few weeks or a couple of months? Do you just jump from mentor to mentor and course to course as you continue to struggle?

If so, then you have a problem because you’re changing critical behaviors before you’ve fully wired in the habit.

Hence you never get the benefits of wiring successful habits into your brain. And then you eventually wonder why you cannot trade consistently.

Sound familiar?

Thus most of the work in building successful habits for you will come in the front end. The good thing is once you’ve wired them in, the rewards (and potential upside) are unlimited.

That sounds like a pretty good trade to me now doesn’t it?

Why Delayed Gratification Is Key

In your journey to create new habits, you’ll be fighting against a primal instinct. This is via instant gratification and one reason why our brains work against us in trading.

The key is to flip the script and opt for delayed gratification. The problem for you is – in a time of instant gratification, most of what you are exposed to works against this.

The Marshmallow Test & Why Delayed Gratification Matters

 

So you have to go against the grains of every day society and culture.

The bottom line is – if you want ot succeed in trading or life, you’ll need to seek out delayed gratification. This will direct your mindset towards building successful habits over time.

As you begin to add positive habits into your life, you’l build up your self-image along the way.

Having a positive self-image will increase your confidence. Eventually you’ll start to think and believe it is ‘like you’ to succeed.

You’ll believe it is ‘like you’ to accomplish what you set out to do. This is one of the most important things you can build for your mindset.

“The habits you wire in today will become the vehicle for your success tomorrow.”

In the spirit of wanting to build my self-image, habits and mindset, I’m taking on these 7 habits for the month of June.

challenging your mindset 2ndskiesforex

The 30 Day Mindset Challenge: Will You Succeed?

For the next 30 days (without breaks), I’ll be adding the following habits to my daily routine.

Here they 7 new habits below:

1)    1hr of writing/producing new trading content per day

2)    45 pushups

3)    25 situps

4)    25 squats

5)    30 mins reading a book or article about buddhism

6)    30 minutes reading a book or article on neuroscience and/or mindset

7)    30 mins – 1hr work on the new trading applications I’m creating (will announce at a later date)

Looking at the list above, that is a lot of new habits to take on. We’re talking about adding 3-3.5hrs of work to my day every day for the next 30 days.

Normally I do not recommend taking on such a big load of new habits or hours to your daily schedule. However I have confidence in my ability to manage my time and get this done.

Will you take on this 30 day mindset challenge?

If so, I’d recommend starting with 1 habit to begin with.

Start small and work your way up. There is no point setting yourself up for failure, so work on something you can achieve. Just make it stretch your comfort zone a bit.

NOTE: For a great article about the comfort zone and how it determines your success in trading, click here.

comfort zone - challenging your mindset to succeed 2ndskiesforex

 

BTW – if some of you are thinking ‘only 25 situps per day?’, my apologies as a) I’m getting older and b) I’ve spent far too much time in the seat lately 😮

All kidding aside (partially kidding…), what new habit will you challenge yourself for the next 30 days?

Write it below along with why you want to work on this.

IMPORTANT: Make sure to work on a habit that you can control the execution of.

For example – you cannot control the market and profits. Hence creating a habit like ‘I’m going to make $5000 per day trading’ will fail because it’s based on something you cannot control (markets).

This is why you only work on habits that you can control.

Now make sure to share below what one habit you’ll be working on for the next 30 days. Be specific along with sharing what it will mean to you to build this new habit.

I’ll be posting updates on this once per week every Tuesday at 930am so make sure to check back regularly.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you. And I’m willing to bet you’ll feel like a more confident version of yourself for completing such a challenge.

Until then – good health and trading to you.

50 thoughts on “The 30 Day Mindset Challenge: Will You Succeed?”

  1. HI Chris,
    I’m at day 4 at the moment and surely will succeed.
    My new habits:
    • 15 minute meditation in the morning
    • 1 minute plank
    • 40 pushups
    • 40 situps
    • lumosity training
    • 40 situps (2nd)
    • writing
    Reason: taking things more seriously and commiting more to trading…building habits require effort, discipline, dedication and setting goals….it’s time to get serious if I want to succeed. So this article was more of a wake up and smell the coffee call…
    Thanks,
    Dan

  2. Mike van der Marel

    I’m doing fine Chris, thanks for asking. How is your challenge going? Much muscle soreness? I have been so motivated by this article, I have decided to add another 30d challenge. I’ve been feeling so sluggish in the morning because of the no caffeine challenge, i now decided to take a cold shower every morning for 30d at least . I feel reborn after every shower! Care to take on this challenge as well my friend? 🙂

    1. Hola Mike,
      Less sore, more strength coming.
      Am glad to hear you’re taking on the 30 day challenge. The cold shower has worked well for many people, some of my friends who swear by it so keep me apprised.

  3. Hi CHRIS!
    Thanks for the answer.
    1 Traderheroes podcast
    2 when i said” From morning till dusk, i am on automatic pilot”, i ‘ll add a precision:
    “automatic pilot” means for me; i have set up hundreds of small rituals that let me to improve and skyrocket my daily life. At the same time, i enjoy fully every minute of my life because i am well versed in the spiritual realm of this matrix. This is another story.
    I think I my use certain words not in their common sense (English is not my native language) and I may not sometimes achieve to express exactly what i feel.
    Have an awesome day.

  4. ismael lozada

    Hola Chris, this a weekly schedule that i have been doing for the pass 3 weeks i’m only showing half of it rest is personal. but in total i have 11 new habits? even comes with quote from Walt Disney.?Lol
    Weekly Schedule
    “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney
    1. 5:30 am Wake up give thanks for everything that you have in life.
    2. Do Luminosity; Read books/audio Books 20 minutes per book 3 books maximum.
    3. Then start typing 20 minutes practice study Spanish lesson and vocabulary.
    4. Advance trader mind set course one lesson per week and journal
    5. Finish Brendan’s course make journal entry work program.
    6. Breakfast 8 am pea protein or Coffee 15 minutes. Then do mediation.
    7. Load ninja load daily premarket wait for commentary at 9:15 am.
    8. Trade 9:30-11 am then journal your action and thoughts. /lunch
    9. 12:00 pm Exercise 2 hrs based on routine time. Body Beast
    10. Market replay 2-4 hours chart pattern tick by tick.
    that’s my schedule in a nut shell. i think i have you beat.? lol

    1. Hello Ismael – ok since you’re already starting this, i wouldn’t consider this part of the challenge. But perhaps once you’re done with this, you can start a new set.

  5. Chris, great article! I am pretty fit and just tried your 45 pushups, 25 situps, 25 squats. That is a nice, quick way to get some reps in! Not easy either. I prefer planks or inchworms over situps (less chance of low back injury) but whatever you prefer.
    My commitment for 30 days:
    1) stick to clean diet for mtb racing
    2) 30 min writing in trade journal / day
    3) Keep beer drinking to 1 beer/wk
    4) Revisit ATM course and move forward in it one more module
    5) meditate 10 min x 4 days/wk

    1. Haven’t tried planks or inchworms, may have to work my way into that.
      but i like your commitment to the 30 day challenge – keep me apprised

  6. Aha! Now I have a neural network for posting here : )
    I’m doing your challenge, with a few variations:
    Adding 10 – 15 min meditation and trading research.
    Three days of the exercises have been tough – but I’m doing them.
    I’m getting a little muscle memory recall and the pushups are already getting a little easier. As for sit-ups – I have trouble getting on the ground and getting back up, and I’m having to do crunches instead of sit-ups. But I’m doing them – and, as uncomfortable as it is to get down and up from the floor, I’m enjoying the benefits of doing them.
    Enjoying my reading, too.
    Thanks for having me on board.
    Onward!

  7. That is great!
    I really like the squat and push up part! I have been doing this same this for like half a year before and I really enjoyed this habit.
    Some back exercise would also be great for later since we sit a lot.
    Good luck with this!

  8. Mike van der Marel

    Great initiative Chris. I’ll take you up on that, Im quitting caffeine for 30 days.

    1. Hola Mike,
      Nice – tis a good challenge you’re taking on here. Keep me apprised and hope all is well.

  9. Great insights, as always. As we strive for success in our endeavours, we need to become creatures of habit apropos developing and mastering the processes involved.

  10. Hi Chris, I have discovered your website through a podcast interview
    You are so right Chris. when it comes to rituals. RITUALS are the HOLY GRAIL of trading. Great post, kudos! Every great endeavour in a wider contest…
    We, as humans, are creatures of habits. People dont get it. 98% of what we do are unconscious. Therefore, i got rid of willpower.
    Instead, i set up rituals. To date, i have tens of rituals per day up and running. From morning till dusk, i am on automatic pilot. My dream day is not an act, but an habit.
    For most people, they are also on automatic pilot all day long. But here is the catch: they are NOT aware of it. Therefore, they react during their trading day instead of enjoying the ride. It took me a couple of months to restructure my old rituals and set up new ones. If people take a couple of months of setting up rituals, it will pay off years, even decades to come.
    Great website, i skimmed through. I like the SPIRIT of the owner. Having said that, i will come back here.
    Tom LAMENA

    1. Hello Tom,
      Am glad you liked the website. What was the podcast you found us through?
      But yes, habits and rituals are critical. And yes, 95% of what we do is sub-conscious or unconscious, of the 60,000 or so thoughts we have a day, so about 3000 of those 60.
      However I don’t think the solution is to get rid of willpower, which is something you cannot fully get rid of. It has it’s place and usefulness in the right moments.
      And I cannot say I recommend being on ‘auto-pilot’ which isn’t too far from being ‘unconscious’. There is a natural intelligence in the moment, a living wisdom which is not available if we are on auto-pilot. Awareness doesn’t function on auto-pilot either. It’s something that has to be maintained and present, not necessarily left to run on auto-pilot.
      But overall, we are in agreement regarding the power of habits so thanks for sharing.

  11. James Lasenby

    I’m always feeling inspired after your articles. Thanks! I will be accepting your challenge.
    10 minutes a day of meditation for the next 30 days.
    I’m also going add a new positive habit every month for the next 30 years. Keep working on getting a little better one habit at a time. Cheers.

    1. Yes, one habit at a time. Am glad to hear you’re taking on the meditation practice. Keep me apprised amigo.

  12. Dear Chris, I will join you by choosing (to revive) 2 useful habits for the next 30 days. (1) I will use a proper (existing) checklist for every (day-) trade for the next 30 trading days, and (2) I will (again) meditate every day for the next 30 days. Will be back on july 08. Govert

    1. Good to hear from you Govert. I like your challenges as they are specific and good to work on. Keep me apprised when done.

  13. Great article Chris!!
    I’m gonna train for the next 30 Days at least 1 hour a day with FT2!

    1. 19hrs? Yikes…would be a tough one on me I’ll confess. But a good practice IMO.

  14. Thanks, for good article and i will go for 5 and 6. Will add 12 min meditation too.
    Nice day to all patrik

    1. 5, 6 and 12 mins meditation? Ok great. Are you currently doing a meditation practice?

  15. Hello Chris,
    Hope all is well today?
    That is quite the challenge you put upon yourself, I like it.
    I’ll accept the challenge. I learned something new yesterday in your course so what could be a better time to start creating a habit out of this.
    I’ll will practice 20 min everyday your “whole picture” mental rehearsal system.
    Also I will increase my reading time from 30 min to 45 min per day for this month.
    So, I will start with 2 habits only (for now)
    1) 25 min of mental rehearsal.
    2) 45 min of reading books.
    Looking forward to your updates and experiences.
    Stay prosperous,
    Jacob

    1. Hello Jacob – all is well, hope the same for you. Yes, I put a challenge on myself, but am feeling good about it and that it’s workable.
      Glad to hear you’ll be doing the whole picture practice along with the extra reading. Keep me apprised

  16. I am going to do 20 mins of meditation daily. I hope to achieve a more focused mind by the end of 30 days. 🙂

    1. Hello Liz,
      Glad to hear you’re taking on this practice.
      RE: Meditation
      Have you done a meditation practice before? Are you currently doing one?

  17. Great article Chris. I started meditating a few months back but had not done so on a consistent daily basis. I found that on days that I meditate I find my energy to go out and face the day increases. I also started being mindful on the present especially when doing mundane chores as oppose to thinking too much of what I will do next. Hence for the next 30 days. I plan to meditate at least 20minutes after breakfast daily and practice being mindful of the present during my daily washing of dishes.

    1. Yes, on the days you practice, you notice a clear difference which is a good sign. Keep me apprised on your 30 day challenge.

  18. marco ciccone

    Good article! I will quit some habit..
    1) I will not smoke
    2) I will not be eating nutella

    1. Hola Marco – Nice…first one to quit a habit. Will you do anything to replace those habits?

  19. Hello. I have started to develop habits and consistently going to work out since two years ago. I have successfully lost about 30 lbs. I try my best to go to the gym everyday except Sunday, vacations or gym closes for public holiday. Every other day I lift and cardio for the following day. This has built a consistency or probably an “addict” because my mind always telling me that “hey its time to go to exercise”
    Hence I will take this challenge. I will start with the following:
    1. I will read two chapters of book (outside of forex market) everyday to improve my english language.
    Thanks

    1. Good – you’ve clearly done some work and are reaping the benefits. Yes, your mind once you have this habit in place will tell you when something is off so good of you to recognize this.
      But am glad to hear you’re taking on the next challenge.

    1. Hello Dan – I’ve heard of Burpees, but never done them. What are they?
      RE: Meditation Course
      It’s in my ATM Course. Hope to be working with you soon there.

  20. Thanks for the 30 days challenge, as you stated for us it better to start with a single habit. I will do 25 push ups everyday throughout next 30 days. I have tried before to my self consistent on a habit. Hopefully this time I will able to keep the challenge.

    1. Nice – glad to hear you’re doing the challenge. Guess we’ll both be buff in 30 days ;-)))

  21. Mike Schwartz

    I love this and needed it. I am a member of your advanced course but to clear have let it get dusty (if online can get dust) and let a lot of great new habits I started on last year go to waste. I needed a kick in the A$$ and this article is the one. My commitment is to meditate 12 minutes every day AND read 30 minutes every day. Thanks Chris and glad to start getting re-engaged with your program and you again! Mike

    1. Hola Mike,
      Good to hear from you. Am glad the article provided a ‘kick’
      Very cool you’ll do the 12 mins of meditation each day and 30 mins of reading (both of which I love and are super healthy for the brain)
      Good to have you engaged again amigo.

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