I suddenly started to feel my brain get foggy. A headache was coming on, and my nose was getting congested. All while my house cleaner was underway with her typical routine.
This wasn’t a normal reaction for me when she cleaned, so I asked her what was going on. And here’s how this relates to your trading.
One-Time Glitches Happen
After those unexpected symptoms lasted 20 minutes I finally asked the cleaner if she was using a different product than usual. She said yes, and showed me a carpet deodorizer she had just applied in our master bedroom.
The issue wasn’t the baking soda component. The deodorizer had a very strong “Island” scent. We both concluded we shouldn’t use it any more in my house. Problem solved.
Like in this house cleaning routine, sometimes there can be a one-time glitch that leads to less-than-ideal results in your trading.
Maybe you have a winning day trade in motion, but you’re not able to squeeze the most out of it because you get a call from your kid’s school that they fell and scraped themselves badly and need to be picked up.
Or maybe your internet goes out briefly, and by the time you get logged back into your system, you don’t get the entry you wanted.
Notice that I’m not just talking about losing trades here. I’m talking about anything that prevents you from fully optimizing the “buy low, sell high” opportunities.
Life happens. Sometimes a one-time event gets in the way. Sometimes there’s a temporary disruption that affects your execution. That doesn’t automatically mean your system is broken.
So take a moment and think about it:
Where are the “carpet deodorizers” in your trading?
One good place to investigate this is your trading journal, if you keep one. And I’m talking about an actual journal, not just a downloaded spreadsheet of your transactions.
I’m talking about the thoughts and actions behind placing, managing, and exiting your trades.
(If you’re a member of the Four Zones RSI Coverage System, you can get started with the Trading Journal Template here in your portal! https://himareddy.xperiencify.io/fourzonesrsi/new-to-xperiencify-quick-start-guide/download-your-trading-journal-template/)
System-Issues Discovery
As the house cleaner continued her routine, I decided to ask her what floor cleaning product she typically uses. Because every time she finishes mopping our wood floor areas on her way out, I literally can’t be there for like 30 minutes. I have to open the windows, turn on the fans, and wait for the smell to clear out.
When I asked, she said she was using Pinesol. And that some of her other clients are sensitive to it as well.
Ding ding ding! Something that had bothered me for years literally now was identified and could be addressed. We’re gonna try Bona cleaner AND I’m gonna keep a dedicated mop and bucket at my house for her to use so that there’s not a drip of Pinesol going forward.
So now think about this:
What may be the “Pinesols” in your trading?
I’m referring to facets that are bothering you, creating friction or affecting your results. And you don’t even realize it because you’ve gotten so used to them.
I had gotten SO used to opening windows and turning on fans every time my floors were cleaned, I thought it was normal!
How many uncomfortable things in your trading have become normal that maybe shouldn’t be?
Sometimes the recurring source of frustration is hiding in plain sight.
Maybe it’s an indicator you’re using but don’t fully understand how to deploy.
Or a timeframe you’re trading when a different one may better suit how you naturally process information.
It could be something about your chart setup, your routine or how you’re managing trades once you’re in them.
There are so many areas where this can be uncovered. And it’s not like you’re going to find them all at once.
Even if you just find the “Pinesol” that will clear up a lot of friction that may have been in your trading that you just got used to.
A Little Summer Cleaning for Your Trading
One thing I have learned is that improvement can come from removing an irritation that’s been lurking in the background.
So as we move through the summer season, consider doing a little belated spring cleaning of your own trading.
Look through your trading journal. Review your process. Pay attention to the things that seem to come up again and again.
Ask yourself whether you’re dealing with a one-time glitch or an actual system issue.
Then see if there’s something that’s been irritating your trading for so long that you’ve simply accepted it as normal.
You might be surprised how much easier things feel once it’s gone.
🚨 PS — Weekly Trading Show TOMORROW 🚨
Be sure to join me at Ticker Request Live for our 23rd broadcast on Tue Jun 23rd at 4:30 PM ET!
👉 You can register here to join me in the Zoom room: himareddy.com/tickerrequestlive
📺Or catch the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/@himareddycmt/streams
Check out ALL of our events at himareddy.com/events
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