Good morning, traders…
My main trading account is up 40% in the past three weeks.*
I don’t say this to brag. I say it to motivate.
Especially since I’ve been seeing the same question from students…
“Ben, why do I keep making the same trading mistakes over and over?”
These aren’t beginners asking. These are traders with solid strategies, clean setups, and years of experience.
They know what to do. They’ve seen it work. But they keep sabotaging themselves with the same errors.
Late entries after the move happened. Moving stops when they should hold firm. Revenge trading after a loss. Cutting winners too early (and holding losers too long)…
They’re stuck in cycles they can’t seem to break.
And I finally realized why. After 22 years of trading and thousands of conversations with struggling traders, I’ve discovered the real culprit behind these recurring mistakes.
It’s not a lack of knowledge. It’s not a bad strategy. It’s not even the market working against you…
The Answer Will Make You Uncomfortable, But Understanding It Could Transform Your Trading Forever…
The Vicious Cycle That’s Killing Your Account
42% of everything you do each day is habitual. That means nearly half your trading decisions come from habit, not conscious thought.
Which made me ask: Are your habits taking you toward your trading goals? Or away from them?
I drew this cycle on the whiteboard during yesterday’s session, and the chat went silent:
- Bad habits lead to emotional trading.
- Emotional trading erodes discipline.
- Weak discipline increases losses.
- Bigger losses create more emotion.
- The cycle continues…
Sound familiar?
I’ve been there. We all have.
The difference between traders who make it and those who don’t isn’t talent or luck.
It’s habits.
My 3 “Won’ts”
After 22 years of trading, I’ve decided there are three habitual rules I can never break:
- I won’t take a trade that doesn’t fit my process: If I can’t explain why I’m entering with leading indicators, lagging confirmation, and a clear trigger, I pass.
- I won’t trade unless I worked out that morning: Sounds weird, but exercise calms my mind. If I skip it, I stay out of the market.
- I won’t take a trade I wouldn’t alert to my students: No hero plays. If the setup’s not solid enough to share with my students, it’s not solid enough to trade.
These aren’t suggestions. They’re non-negotiables.
What are yours?
The Trading Improvement Progression
During the session, I walked through what I call “The 7 Cs” — which describe the path every successful trader takes:
Crisis → You screw up and make a bad trade (we all do).
Conviction → You decide change is necessary.
Commitment → You dedicate yourself to new habits.
Consistency → You stick to the plan daily.
Confidence → Results build your belief.
Courage → You start helping others.
Clarity → Teaching reveals your own blind spots.
The common problem is getting stuck between Commitment and Consistency. You know what you want to do, but can’t stick to it for more than a few days.
That’s where good habits can save you.
Your 30-Day Challenge
Pick three to five trading habits that would impact your results most.
These could be:
- Always set stop losses before entry.
- Never move your stop loss lower.
- Scale out of your gains at predetermined targets.
- Write down your plan before each trade (and stick to it).
Commit to them for 30 trading days. That’s six calendar weeks, now through mid-October.
Track your progress. Check in with yourself weekly. Have grace when you stumble, but get back on track fast.
Making small changes now can lead to massive improvements over time.
Start Today
Don’t wait for Monday. Don’t wait for next month. Don’t wait for the “perfect” setup.
Your habits are either building the trader you want to become or destroying the one you could be.
Write down your three non-negotiables. Stick them next to your screen. Make them visible.
Your future account balance depends on what you do habitually — not occasionally.
Happy trading,
Ben Sturgill
P.S. Tim Bohen is about to reveal the same secret that helped him target single-day peak gains of:
199% with MBIO…*
252% with CYN…*
352% with MCVT…*
414% with SBET…*
And many, many more…*
And according to Tim’s research, the potential this secret offers could EXPLODE after Labor Day weekend…
That’s why TODAY, August 28th, at 8 p.m. EST … Tim is hosting an urgent LIVE trade briefing, so you can uncover all the details behind this opportunity for yourself.
But you only have a few hours left to sign up…
*Past performance does not indicate future results
