Check the Manual

Our modern life is made up of…a bunch of machines.
Your house or apartment, with things that run on their own and others you have to initiate.
Your computer you use for trading.
And of course, the vehicles so many of us depend on every day.

Recently, my husband noticed the skid plate on our Honda CRV was hanging loose. Not dragging the ground yet, but close. That plate protects the undercarriage, so it needed to be fixed.

Since my schedule is more flexible, I took the car to the dealer. They had to keep it overnight, but luckily I got a loaner car. Another CRV — this one a much newer model, with that brand-new car smell still fresh.

It kept life moving while ours was in the shop.

Here’s what was interesting…

Just like with any loaner car, when you return it, they request that you refuel it to a complete tank. (Otherwise they'll charge you an arm and a leg for it.)

I pulled up to our gas station and then I had a doubt..
“Wait, what fuel does this specific car take?”

Instead of risking putting the wrong kind of fuel into the tank and creating more car drama in my life, I recognized the doubt and did something that felt like 1997 was calling. I opened the glove compartment

I gently pulled out the neatly packaged papers.

And there it was – the owner’s manual, in its many paged odd-shaped glory.  

It wasn’t worth taking an unnecessary risk with the fuel, so I poured over the index and flipped to page 25.

Sure enough, regular gas (87 octane) was recommended. 

Small doubt, quick answer. problem solved. And trading works the same way. 

Your trading plan is your equivalent of the car owner’s manual. That’s a blessing and a risk.

Because once you get used to “operating” your trading business, the motions can feel
so familiar that you stop referencing day to day. I’ve seen this happen among my 1on1 students; it’s human nature. But here’s the truth:

• The more you check your plan, the less doubt you carry.
  
• The less doubt you have, the more confidence you build.
  
• And the more confidence you have, the less likely emotions are to ruin your trades.
  

It’s not about eradicating emotions when we trade — it’s about managing them.

So remember: check the manual.

Not just when you hit a confusing or emergent situation, but as a daily practice.
Because consistency in executing your plan is what leads to consistency in trading results!

~Hima