Iโve been on a personal training journey for over two years now. In the beginning, I was lifting light weights, with limited range of motion. But two years in, I can see the changes in my body. Itโs easy to notice the progress when you zoom out โ six months, a year. But itโs the small, steady changes in between that make all the difference.
Like today.
I did a workout Iโd also done two weeks ago. I didnโt remember the exact exercises or numbers โ my trainer had that covered. So I just followed her lead, did the reps, and noticed how hard it felt.
At one point, I stopped and asked her, โIs it just me, or is this workout really tough today?โ
She smiled and said, โYouโre doing 50% more weight or more reps on almost every exercise today.โ
I didnโt believe her until she pulled out her notes. Sure enough โ one move that used to be with 10-pound weights was now with 15 lbs!
So of course it felt harder. I had leveled up, but I hadnโt noticed.
And that moment reminded me how much that same pattern shows up in trading.
We look at our account balance at the start and end of the year โ maybe we check mid-year. But we donโt always notice the small gains: learning a new strategy, ditching one that no longer works, cleaning up trade management.
Those moments? Theyโre where real growth lives.
The Hidden Power of Incremental Gains
Why We Miss Whatโs Working
Many traders only check their growth through results: win/loss ratio, net P&L, maybe their balance over time. But those are lagging indicators. They donโt reflect whatโs actually building consistency.
Thatโs where the smaller gains come in. The ones we donโt always catch in the moment โ but we feel their impact over time.
Like lifting 50% more weight in two weeks without realizing it. Or sticking with a trading plan even though the marketโs choppy. Or walking away from a screen after a loss without revenge trading.
Those changes might not show up in your balance today, but theyโre shifting your whole foundation.
And the best part? You donโt have to notice them right away. You just need a way to record them โ or someone to track them with you.
Gaps vs. Gains: A Better Way to Measure Progress
Thereโs a book called The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. I read it last year. It didnโt land with me immediately โ but one part stuck.
Toward the end of the book, they suggest measuring your gains each day.
That changed everything.
Instead of looking at how far you still have to go โ the gap โ you look at how far youโve come โ the gain.
This works in trading too. Itโs easy to get stuck comparing your current results to your ideal: โI shouldโve nailed that setup,โ or โI should be more consistent by now.โ
But when you look at the gains โ you start to see growth that was there all along.
Even something like stopping the use of a strategy that wasnโt working for you? Thatโs a gain. So is getting better at trade management. So is simply being more self-aware.
And no โ gains donโt have to be positive outcomes.
- They can be lessons learned.
- They can be patterns you caught in hindsight.
- They can be small wins that no one else would see, but you know what it took.
For me lately? A gain is walking past the sugary snacks at the grocery store as I continue working on health and strength in my mid-40s. And in trading, itโs the little decisions that help me stay grounded โ even when the market isnโt.
When you track your gains โ not just your results โ you start to build trust in your process. And that trust is what gives you staying power.
The Role of a Coach in Spotting Growth You Miss
The workout that inspired this reflection? I wouldnโt have known I was lifting heavier if my trainer hadnโt tracked it.
She showed me the numbers. The sets. The reps. She had it all written down. That was the moment I realized: sometimes weโre growing and we donโt even know it.
Thatโs what a good coach does. In fitness. In trading. Anywhere.
They donโt just guide you โ they reflect your progress back to you. They catch things you overlook. They remind you what youโre doing well. And they correct what needs adjusting โ like my form, or a squat that didnโt go deep enough.
In trading, a coach might notice:
- Youโre finally walking away from marginal setups
- Youโre following your rules more often than not
- Youโre managing risk without needing to think twice
- Youโre handling rough patches with more calm than before
You might not catch these things yourself. That doesnโt mean theyโre not happening. It just means youโre inside the experience โ and sometimes we need someone outside of it to reflect our growth.
Thatโs the power of coaching. It isnโt about fixing you. Itโs about showing you where youโre already improving โ and helping you build from there.
How to Start Tracking Your Trading Gains
If you want to make steady progress in trading, you need a way to spot the gains.
And that doesnโt mean hours of journaling or spreadsheets. Start simple.
Each day after your trading session, jot down three things:
- One thing you did better than yesterday
- One thing you learned โ about yourself or the market
- One thing you want to carry into your next session
You can write them in a notebook. A Google Doc. Even a note on your phone.
After a week or two, patterns will start to show up. Youโll see what youโre building. Youโll catch behaviors that are shifting. And youโll know what to reinforce.
You can also tag them if you want to stay organized:
- Strategy
- Trade management
- Emotional discipline
- Risk
- Confidence
- Setup quality
The categories donโt matter as much as the habit.
The point is to create a space where your growth isnโt tied to your P&L. Itโs tied to how youโre developing โ and thatโs where the real traction comes from.
Reframe the Hard Days
Some days just feel heavy. Youโre not in sync with the market. Your setups donโt show up. Or maybe youโre doing everything โrightโ โ and still, it feels off.
Your first thought might be, โIโm slipping.โ
But what if youโre not?
What if it feels hard because youโre lifting more weight?
Thatโs what happened in my workout. I didnโt realize I was working harder because I had progressed. I had built strength โ and with that comes a new load.
In trading, it might look like this:
- You hold your stop, even when it stings
- You walk away after three losses, not ten
- You journal, even when youโre frustrated
- You wait for a clean setup, instead of forcing one
Those are signs of growth.
Theyโre not flashy. They donโt come with dopamine. But theyโre proof that your trading mindset is developing.
So next time a day feels unusually hard, ask yourself:
โWhat am I handling now that I couldnโt have handled two weeks ago?โ
That question reframes everything.
Closing Thoughts: Youโre Growing, Even If You Donโt See It Yet
The biggest shifts in trading often happen quietly.
They donโt always show up in your account. They show up in your behavior. In your decisions. In how you respond when things donโt go your way.
Youโre probably improving more than you think.
Hereโs what we covered:
- Small, steady gains shape your trading mindset
- Measuring the โgainโ instead of the โgapโ changes how you see yourself
- A coach can help you recognize what youโre building
- A simple reflection practice helps you stay aware of your progress
- Hard days arenโt setbacks โ theyโre signs of strength
If this resonated with you โ and you want support tracking your own growth โ weโre here to help.
๐ Reach out to our team to learn more about how we work with traders who are ready to develop more than just strategy. Weโll walk with you, and help you see whatโs already working.
~Hima
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