😫 The 7 Tensions of Trading ➿

Good morning, traders…

Do you ever feel pulled two ways at once in your trading?

You’re watching a chart. You’ve got a plan. 

But within you, there’s a battle. 

Part of you wants to cut it, another part says add. 

You’re excited. You’re nervous. You want to be bold. You want to protect your gains. 

And all of it happens in one breath.

That, my friends, is the tension of trading.

In one of our Midweek Mentoring Sessions, I brought out a coin and asked, “Is it heads or tails?” 

The answer? “Yes.” 

It’s both. 

That’s what a dichotomy is. Two true things at once. 

Trading is full of them.

But learning how to live in that tension is where mastery happens.

Let Me Show You How To Harness The 7 Tensions Of Trading Into Strengths…

1. Rigid rules, flexible expectations

Every trader needs rules. Without them, you’re improvising. 

Mine are written out by hand and followed like gospel. But you can’t expect the market to follow your plan. 

Earlier this week, I bought Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) calls. They dipped quickly after my entry. 

Most would’ve panicked. But my stop was in place, my thesis was intact, and I added with confidence. 

I was rigid in my rules, but flexible in my expectations.

Understanding that tension allowed me to make $7,500 that day.*

2. Decisive action, patient preparation

Most of trading is waiting.

We prep, we plan, we analyze. We watch charts for days, weeks, maybe even months.

But when the best setups present themselves, you must act quickly.

That’s another major dichotomy in trading. Slow to prepare, fast to pull the trigger.

Your edge lives in the tension. You’re both a sniper and a sentinel.

3. Locked in mentally, disconnected emotionally

This one’s tough. Especially if you’re wired like I am. 

You want to win. You want to prove something. You want to get back what you lost. 

But those desires work against your success. 

I’ve had to train myself to stay mentally locked in, follow the logic, and stay emotionally removed from the outcome.

I’m not always perfect at this. No one is. 

But whenever I become too results-oriented, I regret it. 

4. Urgency with process, patience with outcome

As an aspiring trader, you should be hustling right now. 

Doing the reps. Reviewing trades. Journaling. Practicing discipline. 

That’s urgency. 

But the result? That takes time. 

Focus on improvement, not making money. 

And ironically, that’s the path that leads to the latter.

5. Cut losers fast, let winners run

In trading, you want to cut your losers quickly and let your winners develop.

But that creates another tension. How do you know which side to err on?

I have a very simple process for this:

If a stock violates my stop, I’m out. 

But if it hasn’t done anything wrong, I gotta stay long. 

6. You’re the Ref (and the Player)

You’re playing the game. But you also have to call the game. 

You’re the player and the ref. You decide when to start, when to stop. 

It’s not like blackjack, where the dealer tells you when you bust. In trading, you’ve got to blow the whistle on yourself.

You’ve got to know when enough is enough. My biggest drawdowns often come after big wins. So I might just stop trading after a hot streak. 

Why? Because I’m both the player and the referee. And I don’t trust the market to tell me when to quit.

I’ve learned to take profits when I can, not when I have to.

7. Trading Is an Individual Sport (Best Played as a Team)

You press the buttons. You make the call. You own the trade. 

It’s your risk, your money, your responsibility. 

But that doesn’t mean you should go it alone.

Community keeps you grounded.

That’s what the Smart Data Trading community is about. That’s why I do this. 

To provide something I didn’t have when I started: a true team.

Who’s your mirror? Who tells you the truth? Who celebrates your wins without taking credit? 

You need that friend in your corner.

Here’s your next step: pick one tension from above that hits you hardest. The one you know is tripping you up.

Write it down. Put it on a sticky note. Tape it to your screen.

Then hold that tension, day after day, until it shapes you into the trader you’re meant to be.

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

P.S. There are a few specific moments on the chart when the odds are tilted in your favor. 

My Predictive Price Fusion system is all about identifying those moments — and giving you the tools to capitalize on them.

Join Aaron Hunziker this Sunday, August 10 at 4:00 p.m. EST for a SPECIAL LIVE WORKSHOP where he’ll show you how to use this system in your trading. 

Click here to reserve your seat.

*Past performance does not indicate future results