When I receive emails from new and developing traders they often dwell on what is not working with their trading.  They recite with precision exactly what they are doing poorly and with thoughtful reasons for this.  Inevitably, they ask for help with these issues.

My first response generally is to ask them what they do well.  And we then build our conversation from around there.

Improvement comes from building from your strengths and minimizing what you do poorly.  A trading coach said this so well to me about a firm trader he was helping.  This was a trader who I just could not understand why was acting so frequently against his self-interest.  That coach said to me, “Mike, all we can do is make those bad moments less frequent, last shorter, and not burn as hot.”

Let’s get back to focusing on what YOU do well as a trader.

I work with an experienced trader at our firm daily, who is seeking to improve.  Our focus is on what is working for him.  Honestly, I am surprised about what is working for him.

In his review, last night, this experienced trader wrote:

Today again was at the office early, and made $$ again pre market and positioned myself in DF at great price and caught a nice move.

This is working for him.  He ought to do more of that.  I will encourage him to do so.

Consider this with your trading:

a) What is working for you?

b) How can you do more of it?

c) How can you do more of that bigger?

As always, I welcome your feedback and/or questions at [email protected].

*no relevant positions