Programming

Have you ever wondered how two people can look at the same thing and come up with two totally different ideas of reality?   This happens due to our internal programming of how we collect and process information based on our personality and confirmation bias.    Our brains create these programs that are always running subconsciously, in order to make quick, effective decisions without waiting for the full brain power to “boot up”.   This makes decisions more reactionary than deliberate.  In this session, we talk about correct programming and how to program your mind to be a successful trader.

Our programming will determine almost every single decision we make as a trader.   If your programming says you “want to make money”, then you will engage in that pursuit and make all your decisions based on that programming.   It is no longer about the trade, the technical setup or risk management and is now about the money.   That P&L on your screen will be the thing making the decisions at that point.

To succeed at trading, we need to have proper programming for what we are trying to accomplish.   This is why the first part of every trading plan should be about YOU, the trader.  What are your strengths? weaknesses? Personality score?   These are the things you can’t change and you need to build a trading plan that works in spite of you and your shortcomings.   Re-framing your mind to be the best trader (which means a trader that strictly follows their trading plan) you can be is a healthy place to start.

Brain Chemistry

This video takes a look inside the brain to the physiological that happen to EVERY human being when placed under duress or undertaking risk.   This is part of being human and we cover the various hormones and chemicals that risk taking produces.   Understanding the chemical reaction is a guaranteed reaction from certain stimuli and programming, we will work to reprogram the brain to send more helpful or less harmful hormones when placed under duress.

Habits

We’ve all heard the saying “bad habits are hard to break”.  While that’s true, it’s impossible to break any habit unless you understand the factors that created that habit in the first place.  Without addressing these underlying issues, you can’t fix bad habits with more discipline or more encouragement.  Understanding why you make these decisions will finally unlock the true key to changing any behavior

Behavior Change

When we make the same mistake over and over again, we can’t seem to break the cycle.  Once you understand the underlying reasons for that habit, you can finally begin to rewrite the program in your mind that runs whenever you encounter that specific situation.  We work on acceptance, planning, action and maintenance as the keys to long-term behavior change.

Overtrading

Making too many trades is a frequent issue, especially for extraverted traders.   In this session, we get to the root cause of overtrading which is the need for stimulus to cure boredom that is most of a trader’s existence as they patiently wait for setups.   We discuss several methods to control overtrading and discuss creative methods to end this endless feedback loop to where the trader controls their own trading future.