Trading is 95% mental (maybe even more).
That's why Mark Douglas' work was so transformative for traders of all markets — it's not just about TA. To be successful, you have to focus on the mental side of trading.
Here are 15 of his top quotes on trading psychology (save this):
Jesse Livermore is one of the most legendary traders of all time.
In 1929, Livermore’s net worth amassed over $100M, which is equivalent to over $1.5 billion today...
Here are 10 of Livermore's most actionable lessons (you're going to want to bookmark this):
"Everyone thinks oh it's so easy...but it takes years and years and years and years. That's really the only difference between successful traders and unsuccessful traders...the successful ones don't give up. They stick with it, even if they blow up, they come back, they go back to work, they come back to trading. That's what I did, several times. I could have just given up and, you know, finished my studies and gone to work and you know, worked at a regular job, and now I make like as much money in year than I would have made in a lifetime having a regular job.." – @Qullamaggie
Most traders and investors would likely perform better if they treated the market as open only from 9:30-10 AM and 3:30-4 PM.
Focusing solely on preparing for the day's expected move (or next) and executing the initial plan would eliminate a lot of unnecessary trades and impulsive adjustments.
Even experienced traders can benefit from this mindset. When a portfolio is performing well, there’s often a temptation to tinker with it instead of just letting it run its course.
Spending the entire day watching every tick, whether on a pullback or a green day, increases the likelihood of making reactionary decisions, like putting on a poorly thought-out hedge or adding to a winning position too soon instead of into a real pullback.
Most decisions stemming from a random midday spur of the moment are negative EV propositions. Now this is not true for all traders, but it holds true for most traders I have seen throughout the years.
The best plan for the next day or plan for that initial window to execute. Intraday becomes a way to manage that risk/expectancy rather than a new market to trade.
252 trading days per year:
$200/day = $50k/year
$400/day = $100k/year
$1k/day =$250k/year
$4k/day = $1M/year
Notice it doesn't take much to make big money!
CONSISTENCY is the KEY! Gains add up quick when u don't have wild big swings (losses). Stick to your plan/rules daily!
Inside this setup database is also a collection of 300+ tweets from @markminervini from the past decade covering the most significant mindset/success principles I found on his feed to help you on your trading journey.
If you're a struggling trader, I can't preach enough about the importance of staying in the game.
Behavioral changes don't happen overnight; they happen incrementally over a period of time.
So, stay active in the market, trade small, and you'll slowly build expertise.