Trading shows me how rational I really am
I thought I was fairly unemotional. Trading helped me understand myself better.
I’ve always considered myself analytical. I studied mathematics, enjoyed working with numbers and tried to approach decisions objectively. Trading showed me how much emotions can still influence me.
Writing down a strategy is one thing. Following it when your own money is involved is another. Suddenly, the same rules carry a very different weight.
What I like about momentum trading is being able to define entries, exits and risk clearly. That gives me a reference point for my decisions. The rules don’t remove the need to deal with my feelings, though.
For me, much of the learning happens there: how is this situation affecting me? Is that influencing my decision? Am I still following the approach I worked out beforehand?
My Trading Cockpit is part of this attempt to look more closely at my own practice. But the process goes beyond software and numbers.
Trading has also taught me something about myself: being analytical doesn’t mean emotions have no influence. Noticing that influence is a separate part of the work.