Trading Journal – Real Market Experience
Trading is not just about finding the right setup. It is about executing the same process again and again, even when your emotions are trying to stop you.
Today’s trading session was a perfect example of how trading psychology and discipline matter more than being right on any single trade.
The First Trade – A Normal Stop Loss
The market was forming a structure I am very familiar with. From past experience, I believed it would remain in a range and eventually take my stop loss. Because of this, my mind was already biased toward expecting a loss.
When the setup appeared, I still took the trade strictly according to my rules.
The market moved in my favor initially, but after about an hour, it reversed and hit my stop loss.
A clean loss. Nothing unusual.
The Second Setup – Where Psychology Starts to Interfere
Later, the market offered the exact same setup again in the same direction.
This is where most traders fail.
I hesitated.
My mind started protecting me:
- One candle can hit your stop loss.
- You already lost once.
- Skip this trade.
But my rules were clear.
If the setup is valid, I take the trade.
So I executed.
Price Moves Fast – Emotions Get Tested
The market immediately moved in my favor and reached 2.5R within 15 minutes.
My actual target was 3R, and it was not the final hour of trading, so I held the position.
Then price reversed… back toward breakeven.
Later, it reversed again and came within 2 points of my target.
At that moment, the real battle started:
- Book profits.
- Take 2R.
- Don’t let this become zero.
I did nothing.
I followed my rules.
The Final 30 Minutes – Discipline Gets Rewarded
When the final 30 minutes of trading started, price again came close to 2R.
The urge to exit was strong.
But rules are rules.
I stayed in the trade.
And in the last 30 minutes of the session, the market reversed once more and delivered +2.5R.
Trade Results
- Trade 1: Stop loss
- Trade 2: +2.5R
Lessons in Trading Psychology
- I wanted to skip the second trade – the market proved me wrong.
- I wanted to book profits early – the market proved me wrong again.
- Rules protected me when emotions tried to interfere.
Discipline won.
Final Thoughts
This is what professional trading really looks like.
Not perfect entries. Not prediction.
Just repeating the same process, trade after trade, without letting fear or recent losses change your behavior.
This is trading psychology.
This is discipline.
And this is how consistency is built.
