Grief …

When we face defeat in trading we traditionally encounter grief. This is natural. This emotion is unavoidable and can be handled like all other emotions. It merely requires the undertaking of appropriate mindset and strategies.

The first stage in dealing with grief is to simply acknowledge that something has gone wrong. When things go wrong - Deal with it …

If we possess the rationality to be a trader then we will not be able to hide from what has happened. Denial is part of the arsenal of the amateur trader , not the professional. A loss is a loss and there is nothing we can do to alter this. Acceptance is the key to this first stage.

In the amateur trader , denial will give way to anger. This anger will be directed at almost any inappropriate source. Amateurs become angry at their system , the advice that was taken or at the black box sitting on the desk. They will blame almost anything , including their dogs …
Anger gives way to personal recrimination which in turn leads to self-doubt. The small voice that each of us has inside suddenly becomes much louder , eventually wearing down whatever confidence we had as traders. The voice of self-doubt then pushes us towards depression.

Trading is about managing risks and managing losses. Losses are unavoidable. Taking risks by its very definition implies that failure is not only possible but likely at some point in time. Defeats occur through a lifetime of trading. As long as we are able to handle this emotion , we will lose count of the number of defeats we encounter.

Hindsight is the perfect trading tool. The actions taken at any point during a trade were the actions you took - there is nothing that can be done to undo them.