What I’ve noticed in traders
In 2024, I coached more than twenty students.
The same pattern keeps coming up:
Some clearly have a degree of natural talent.
Once they’ve learned a good trading strategy and strict risk management rules, they just need to practise to start seeing results.
They’re the ones who become profitable in a few months.
But they’re rare.
For the vast majority, the path is different.
They have to work through four stages before they can hope to become profitable:
- Learn
- Retrain their habits
- Practise
- Question themselves
The stage that trips people up most? Retraining their habits
In trading, that means letting go of the emotional trades that hurt your results.
We’ve picked up these habits without even noticing.
Fear of taking a loss, and therefore missing a great trade, is a perfect example.
In trading, that fear often leads to irrational decisions.
People who can unlearn those reflexes quickly tend to become profitable sooner.
But there are countless habits to work on:
- Impatience
- Fear of failure
- Overconfidence
- Euphoria and excitement
- Fatigue and lack of focus
- And so on
If you recognise yourself here, read to the end. I have something that could help.
Some people get stuck at stage one
They don’t have a sound trading method, or they have one but don’t understand it.
Without that, retraining habits and practising make no sense.
So learning a method comes first.
My advice is to choose one, stick with it and practise it.
Many traders stop progressing because they change strategies every three months.
Working through the steps with the same strategy makes all the difference.
Traders who become profitable don’t stop there
They regularly question themselves, test things, adjust and aren’t afraid to challenge their own decisions.
That ability to assess and revise what they do helps them avoid repeating mistakes and keep improving.
Talent or method
In reality, talent and method aren’t opposites.
Talent helps you learn the method faster. It doesn’t mean you can skip it.
Some people find it easier to learn, retain information and put it into practice.
But even the most gifted traders go through the four stages. They just move through them faster.
Having the information is one thing. Knowing how to use it is another
As with any complex skill, there are two possible paths:
- Going it alone: a longer route, built on trial and error
- Getting guidance: a shorter route, with an experienced outside perspective
Some manage on their own. Others need a structured learning environment to avoid wasting time.
They need support that helps them question themselves and spot mistakes they can’t see.
Recognising those needs is what led me to develop my approach to coaching.