I decided to sell today out of boredom...
The second I did, the price shot up like a rocket ship! 🚀
I KNEW this shit was rigged.
 
Now I'm sitting on the sidelines... kicking myself.
 
It's not the first time this has happened.
Or the second... or the third...
It feels like this happens all the time.
 
Now - I know that the markets are not actually rigged.
I know that my brain is being overly dramatic.
Brains tend to remember things that trigger strong emotions.
…like the pain of watching the price climb after I sold.
 
When I sell and price jumps up...
I get frustrated and emotional.
 
I tell myself that's part of trading.
...but it doesn't matter
I can't remember all the times where selling was the perfect timing.
That's just not how the brain works.
 
There's only ONE way to be sure we're being honest with ourselves…
To really know if our brain is playing tricks...
Keeping a trading journal.
 
Looking back at my journal, I can see that I sell early ~30% of the time.
I'll never be perfect...
But 30% is too damn high!
 
Here's my plan to do better:
 
1. Continue journaling every trade.
It's kind of a pain in the ass, but SO valuable.
I journal my entries and my planned profit/stop loss.
 
2. Take it one step further.
I write down why I bought in the first place.
What did I see that looked so juicy?
 
3. If I want to sell early...
I have to be sure I can write down what changed.
What new information did I see that made a difference?
If I can’t, then I stick to my original plan.
 
Tweaking my strategy and holding myself accountable is how I continue to raise the bar.
If you don’t have a trade journal, why the hell not?