Trading 'Awakening Record' records and habits, today I will share with you the trading 'Awakening Record' records and habits.
On this road of trading filled with challenges and opportunities, if you cannot even organize the most basic trading records, I can tell you with certainty that you are not engaging in real trading, but rather muddling through life based on feelings.
You only need to look back at your past trading history, and it is not hard to find that times of profit seem to be the favor of the goddess of fate, entirely a matter of luck; while in times of loss, it feels like falling into a quagmire, where you can only grit your teeth and persevere. In fact, it is not that the market is intentionally going against you, but that you have never regarded trading as a rigorous profession from the very beginning. As the ancients said, 'Skill comes from diligence, while neglect leads to decline.' Your attitude towards trading determines your gains in the trading field.
I have seen too many people like this, they watch the market trends every day, like a farmer waiting for a rabbit, eagerly hoping the market will develop according to their expectations; they frequently ask about market direction, as if lost in a vast ocean, urgently searching for a lighthouse to guide them; they also keep claiming that they have put in a lot of effort.
Yet year after year, their account funds gradually melt away like the remaining snow in spring. The crux of the problem is not in the technical aspect, but in the fact that they have not even completed the most basic 'homework' seriously. What truly sets traders apart is not some mysterious trading method, but several habits that go against human nature.
If you truly desire to go far in the trading field, there are several things you cannot bypass.
First thing: Be sure to record every trade in detail. This is not that kind of casual record of making or losing money; you need to clearly record the variety of trades, like a general understanding his soldiers; specify the parameters used, just like a craftsman is familiar with his tools; accurately mark the entry and exit points, just like a navigator determining the starting and ending points of a route; precise to the exact time of entry and exit, like a watchmaker keeping time accurately; note the cycle on which you base your trades, like a painter choosing the right canvas; calculate the ratio of risk to reward, like a businessman weighing costs against profits; analyze the reasons for entering, reflecting on your inner thoughts at the time, whether calm or anxious; plan the allocation of positions, like an architect designing the load-bearing structure of a building; and it’s best to accompany each trade with a chart, making every trade clear and traceable. Many people hear this and find it troublesome, claiming they have no time, but I must honestly tell you that once you get familiar with this entire process, it won’t take even two minutes.
After you persist for a month or three months, when you look back at these records, you will discover a cruel fact: the losses you once thought were due to market issues, 70% are actually the result of your own blind operations and reckless behavior. It's like 'not recognizing the true face of Mount Lu, only because you are in the midst of it'; only by stepping outside the current limitations and examining yourself from the records can you see the essence of the problem.
Second thing, conduct regular reviews, and do so with questions in mind. I usually set a fixed time to sort through all the trades of the week. At this time, the focus is not on how much profit was made, but on deep reflection: Did this trade strictly follow the established rules? Did I carelessly add positions due to greed for a bit more profit, like a gambler sinking deeper at the poker table? Did I rush to enter due to fear of missing the opportunity, just like a soldier making wrong decisions in a panic? Did emotions intervene during the trading process, leading to judgment errors? Was this a clean and strict execution of rules, or an impulsive and reckless operation? You must learn to distinguish a key concept: loss does not equal error; the real culprit is rule-breaking. Just like 'a thousand-mile dam is destroyed by an ant hole', a small violation may trigger a huge disaster in the long river of trading.
Third thing, start looking for patterns. After you continuously record trades for several weeks, you will discover some phenomena that you previously had no awareness of. Perhaps you trade during a specific period and perform particularly consistently, like the regularity of sunrise and sunset; perhaps you encounter problems on certain days, as if swayed by some invisible force; maybe when you are not in good condition, you always can't help but place random orders, like an out-of-control carriage crashing around. These situations are difficult to notice in the moment. Only when the data is clearly presented in front of you will you suddenly realize that it is not that you lack ability, but that you forced a trade when it shouldn’t have been executed, just like sowing seeds in the wrong season, making it naturally difficult to reap a bountiful harvest.
Fourth thing, learn to adjust strategies, rather than stubbornly sticking to them. The biggest problem for many people is that even when a trading model has been dragging them down, they still stubbornly refuse to let go, like a captain of a dilapidated ship refusing to replace it with new navigation tools. What you need to do is decisively eliminate low-quality trading opportunities, focusing your energy on those parts where you have the highest win rate and the most stable performance. This is not about copying others' trading rhythm, but like a tailor making a suit, gradually finding an execution method that suits you. Professional trading is not a competition of who has more methods, but a competition of who understands better what they can and cannot do. Like 'know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated', only by understanding yourself can you stand undefeated in trading.
Fifth thing: Organize and analyze trading data. I will pay long-term attention to several key indicators: win rate like exam scores, reflecting the accuracy of your trades; average profit and loss like a merchant's profit, indicating the return of each trade; rule execution rate like soldiers' adherence to military orders, measuring whether you trade strictly according to plan; compare the results of rule-following and rule-breaking trades, like comparing the consequences of following traffic rules versus violating them, allowing you to deeply understand the importance of rules; and the status rating of each trade, like a teacher's comprehensive evaluation of students, helping you understand your psychological state while trading. These numbers will not intentionally flatter you; they will only tell you the truth about whether you are making continuous progress or stagnating.
Sixth thing: also the most important point, achieve a shift in mindset. When you begin to systematically record trades, you will discover a magical thing: you no longer get entangled in the profits and losses of a particular trade, like a traveler no longer worrying about occasional bumps during the journey; you are no longer led by the nose by the ups and downs of the market, like a ship at sea no longer swayed by temporary winds and waves. Because you understand that each trade is providing samples for your trading system, just like a scientist collecting data through experiments; the profits that belong to you will eventually come from the market, and what does not belong to you, even if you forcibly seize it, you ultimately cannot possess it for long.
Many people have yet to start recording their trades, not because they don't know how to operate, but because they dare not face their true selves, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand when faced with danger. But I sincerely want to tell you that today is the best time to start your recording journey; this is the simplest and most effective step to enhance your trading ability, and it is also a key step that the vast majority of people overlook. Don't blindly follow the old path of the majority; start doing this seriously today, and persistently continue, and you will find that the path of trading will become more and more stable, and you will truly go further and further. It’s like climbing a peak, each step is solid and powerful, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of success.
