MOVING FROM WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO WHAT YOU DO WANT

Posted: 2010-07-14

Contributing Author: Ruth Barrons Roosevelt

What don’t you want from your trading? Without knowing you specifically, I’m pretty sure you don’t want loss and you certainly don’t want to lose all your trading capital. Taking it a little further, you probably don’t want to miss opportunity, and you do severely regret all the missed advantageous trades you let pass you by as you hesitated and you long for the money you left on the table when you exited way too soon. Furthermore, you probably don’t like feeling stressed, confused, or plain old wrong.

To fully understand what you are trying to avoid (and hence bring upon yourself), finish the following sentences:

• I want to trade full time for a living, but__________________________.
• Trading is my passion, but____________________________________ .
• Trading is a viable way to increase capital, but____________________.
• Some people make a lot of money trading, but____________________.

The other side of the but tells you what your real fears and limitations are within the trading arena. These fears and limits are the consequence of negative or conflicting beliefs that are impeding your desires and hampering your ability to maximize profits.

Focusing on what we don’t want often keeps us from getting what we do want. I’ve said it numerous times: Winners think about what they want and how to get it. Losers think about what they don’t want and how to avoid it and whom to blame. What do you want from your trading?

Take the statement on the other side of the but, and ask yourself what do I want instead? Then ask yourself how will I know when I have that? How will I feel?

For example, let’s say you said, “I want to trade full time for a living, but I’m afraid I can’t make enough to support my family and I’d be so scared I’d mess up the trading.”

Okay, what do you want instead? “I want to trade my proven methods consistently and trust myself and my methods to work coherently enough to make a decent living.”

How will you know when you have that? “I’ll be following my methods confidently and making money part time.”

How will you feel? “I’ll feel secure, confident, and joyfully optimistic.”