If I had just 30 seconds to pass on the trading secrets I’ve learned the hard way over the last 6 years, it would be this:

Broadly, I follow the precursors laid down by the people who really move these markets, not the people who think they move these markets… 

1. If the setup looks obvious it probably is a trap…
   
    E.G at the perfect touch of a trend rather than when price has spiked out of trend to gather liquidity and then showed confirmation,
   
   be patient rather than trying to call every top and bottom of a trend. 
2. If you can zoom out a timeframe before placing a trade, always do so.

    

   What may look good on a lower time frame is probably bang average on a higher time frame. Especially if you have been crawling the lower time frames for entry, a lot of people do this.

3. Never be certain, always remain adaptive.
   
   The market can do and will do whatever it wants to…

   Even if you have been stalking a setup for days, it doesn’t matter. Trade what you see, not what you want to see.  

4. Never extend your stop losses. It’s a slippery slope and will only be detrimental to your discipline. Plan the trade and trade the plan, nothing else.

Break any of these rules and watch your account diminish sooner than you think….

There are other rules for good trading, many formulated by some of the legends of the space, George Soros, Paul Tudor Jones and John Paulson.

The simplest is, make your entries as mechanical as possible. The easiest trades to enter are the ones defined by set rules. A trade where you doubt yourself is already a loser either technically or psychologically.

Remember most people are either lazy or plain stupid, they won’t put in the work to refine their entry process. They tend to forget the trade they had been planning for months by the time price action plays out, they have moved onto the next ‘quick entry’. 

The same principle applies in life…

Stay loyal to your goals and they will stay loyal to you. 

If you watch the best traders you will notice their trading sessions are short. Their entries are disciplined and exits are set in stone. There is no fluff, they know exactly what they are doing and how to do it, day in and day out, it is a way of life.

Unfortunately there are no gizmos such as indicators or algorithms that will teach you this skill…

although we can guide you.

That was a long elevator ride, wasn’t it?

If you’ve enjoyed these snippets so far, join the pro team. What have you got to lose?

Best,

The Social Traders