In trading, it’s easy to get caught up in goals like “I’m going to make X amount per month” or “I’m going to have X winning trades each week.”
The problem is that outcomes are something we have very little control over. When we fail to hit these targets, we risk overtrading, taking unnecessary risks, or abandoning our plan – which often leads to even worse results.
The truth is that uncertainty is a constant in trading. Even the most well-developed and “bulletproof” strategy will have losing periods.
Yet many traders interpret a winning trade as proof that the strategy works, and a losing trade as evidence that it’s flawed. This allows single outcomes to dictate confidence and decision-making, creating an emotional rollercoaster that makes us more impulsive and less disciplined.
Shifting the focus to the process means putting your energy into the things you can actually control:
✅ following your strategy
✅ sticking to your risk parameters
✅ completing your analysis before each trade
✅ reviewing how you executed – regardless of the result.
This shift helps maintain discipline during drawdowns, measure success by behavior rather than outcome, and develop the knowledge, skills, and mental tools needed for long-term success.
🎯A first step toward process focus is to set goals based on your actions, not on the market’s results. At the end of each trading day, ask yourself: ”Did I follow my process today?” If the answer is yes, that’s a win – even if the day’s P/L is negative.
🎯When a loss occurs, the next step is to analyze why it happened. Was it a natural result of market movement, or a deviation from your strategy? By consistently identifying these patterns, you build psychological tolerance for losses and learn to see them as a normal part of trading rather than as failures.
When you measure success by your process rather than by single outcomes, you reduce emotional highs and lows and create the conditions for stable performance over time.
💡Pro tip:
So next time you take a loss, pause before judging the result.
Ask yourself:
How well did I follow my process today?
Over the long run, your answer to that question will determine the kind of trader you become.
Happy compassionate trading! 💙
/ Tina the Tradingpsychologist
The problem is that outcomes are something we have very little control over. When we fail to hit these targets, we risk overtrading, taking unnecessary risks, or abandoning our plan – which often leads to even worse results.
The truth is that uncertainty is a constant in trading. Even the most well-developed and “bulletproof” strategy will have losing periods.
Yet many traders interpret a winning trade as proof that the strategy works, and a losing trade as evidence that it’s flawed. This allows single outcomes to dictate confidence and decision-making, creating an emotional rollercoaster that makes us more impulsive and less disciplined.
Shifting the focus to the process means putting your energy into the things you can actually control:
✅ following your strategy
✅ sticking to your risk parameters
✅ completing your analysis before each trade
✅ reviewing how you executed – regardless of the result.
This shift helps maintain discipline during drawdowns, measure success by behavior rather than outcome, and develop the knowledge, skills, and mental tools needed for long-term success.
🎯A first step toward process focus is to set goals based on your actions, not on the market’s results. At the end of each trading day, ask yourself: ”Did I follow my process today?” If the answer is yes, that’s a win – even if the day’s P/L is negative.
🎯When a loss occurs, the next step is to analyze why it happened. Was it a natural result of market movement, or a deviation from your strategy? By consistently identifying these patterns, you build psychological tolerance for losses and learn to see them as a normal part of trading rather than as failures.
When you measure success by your process rather than by single outcomes, you reduce emotional highs and lows and create the conditions for stable performance over time.
💡Pro tip:
So next time you take a loss, pause before judging the result.
Ask yourself:
How well did I follow my process today?
Over the long run, your answer to that question will determine the kind of trader you become.
Happy compassionate trading! 💙
/ Tina the Tradingpsychologist
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.