Good morning, traders…

There’s a common misconception I notice among my students.

They think success comes down to having the perfect strategy, spotting the right setup, or catching the next big move. If they just study hard enough, or follow the right signals, they’ll have it all figured out. 

But that’s not how it works. While the technical side is important, it’s not the whole ballgame.

You don’t win or lose in the markets because of the setup you pick — you do so based on how you handle yourself.

At the end of the day, who you are as a person is who you are as a trader.

• If you’re impatient in life, you’ll force trades.
• If you lack discipline in your routines, you’ll break your trading rules.
• If you don’t respect the process in your daily habits, you won’t respect your process in your trading.

The markets don’t make you someone new — they reveal who you already are. And that’s not bad news. 

It means you can practice the mindset of a great trader every single day, long before you even place a trade.

Let me show you how…

Patience

In trading, patience is waiting for the right setup — not jumping into a breakout before the confirmation candle closes (or quick firing on a pullback before it finds support). 

But patience doesn’t start when you open your brokerage account. You can build patience every day in small, real-life ways.

For example: When you’re stuck in traffic or standing in a long checkout line, resist the urge to fidget, huff, or pull out your phone to distract yourself…

Notice the discomfort of waiting — and meditate on it. It sounds simple, but slowing down when everything in you wants to speed up can help a lot. 

We’re living in an era of instant gratification: you can order food, watch entire movies, and make trades — all from your phone, in mere seconds. 

But all of this convenience works against the patience you need in trading…

And that’s why you should practice delayed gratification. 

Next time, try waiting a day or two before making a nonessential purchase. That short pause builds the same mental muscle you’ll need when you’re tempted to jump early into a trade that isn’t quite ready.

Discipline

Discipline in trading means sticking to your rules. 

It’s closing a trade when your stop hits, even when you feel like giving it a little more room. It’s taking your profits at target, not getting greedy.

But again, discipline doesn’t switch on magically when you sit at your desk. You have to shape it daily.

A simple real-life way to practice: stick to a morning routine. Nothing crazy, I’m not talking about some four-hour, candlelit seance. 

Just a small, consistent habit: get up at the same time each day, make your bed, maybe get in a quick walk or stretch…

That quiet daily act of showing up for yourself — no matter how you feel — is the same discipline you need to bring to your trading routine. 

Additionally, set small personal limits and hold to them. 

Maybe you decide to spend only 20 minutes a day on social media. Set a timer — and stick to it. 

That muscle of saying “enough” carries right into your trading life, where knowing when to stop matters just as much as knowing when to start.

Process

Process is what keeps you grounded when the market feels chaotic. 

A good process gives you a roadmap: you know what setups you trade, what your risk is, when you’ll enter, and when you’ll exit. 

Without a reliable process, every day feels like a guessing game.

For example: I start every day by looking at my OMEN Scanner. Then, I check the charts for confirmation. And if any of those charts intrigue me, I’ll start designing a trading plan. 

But again, you can strengthen your process mindset by paying attention to how you approach everyday tasks.

For example, think about how you handle household chores. 

Do you have a system, or do you bounce between half-finished tasks? 

Try creating a simple, repeatable routine: maybe you always tackle the kitchen first, then the living room, then the laundry…

Following a clear, orderly process helps train your brain to stay on track — exactly what you need when your trading plan says “wait for this level to break,” but your emotions say “get in now!”

Another idea: meal prep. Whether it’s planning your week’s dinners or just packing lunch the night before, the act of preparing and following a system strengthens your “process muscle.”

You’re teaching yourself to think ahead, plan, and execute consistently.

The qualities that make you a strong, resilient person — patience, discipline, commitment to process — are the exact same qualities that make you a successful trader. 

You don’t have to wait for the market to open to start working on them.

Every day gives you chances to practice. Waiting calmly in traffic. Holding to a morning routine. Following through on a simple plan.

I still practice these things daily. I still catch myself wanting to rush, cut corners, or skip my own rules. 

Mastering trading is really about mastering yourself. 

And you can start right now. 

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

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