I’ve always said, I can’t predict the future, but I was hoping the broad market would keep climbing.
But let’s be real… the market doesn’t care about our hopes and dreams.
And sure enough, we saw another red day yesterday.
Here’s what the S&P 500 looked like…
SPY Intraday, One-Minute Candles Chart; SteadyTrade
What happened?
Renewed turmoil in the Middle East stirred up uncertainty.
And a tech selloff dragged things down after shares of NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) slipped.
More headlines… more uncertainty… more market jitters.
It’s anyone’s guess what we’ll see tomorrow.
This is the reality of trading, so what do we do?
We expect the unexpected, adapt…
And most importantly, we control our emotions.
One of the biggest truths in trading is that at the end of the day, it’s you against you.
And especially in this market environment, you need to ask yourself these questions:
Can you make the right decisions?
Can you stick to your plan?
Can you control your emotions and stay disciplined?
That’s what separates the pros from the amateurs.
Table of Contents
Accept That Some Things Are Out of Your Control
Listen, the market does whatever it wants…It’s definitely doing that right now.
It happens. And it’ll keep happening.
You can do all the research, check every box on your checklist, time the perfect entry…
But there will always be unexpected news events that rain on your parade.
And when that happens, cut your losses immediately.
If you after the trend changes or after bad news hits, you’re fighting reality. And that’s what leads to frustration, rage, and blown accounts.
So every time you trade, set your stop loss first, and then stick to it!
Sometimes You Just Have to Detach and Walk Away
Let’s say you take a loss.
You were green. You felt great. Then, boom! The stock tanks 20% in seconds.
Your winning trade is now a loser.
So what should you do?
If you feel frustrated, step away.
You’re better off missing potential winners than continuing to trade out of pure emotion…That noise in your head can lead you to revenge trading and disaster for your account.
You don’t have to force it. If a trade goes bad, you don’t need to immediately “make it back.” That’s how traders spiral.
Give yourself time to reset, then come back focused and fresh.
Don’t Obsess Over Your Last Trade
One huge mistake a lot of traders make is that they focus too much on their last trade.
Maybe you just had a bad loss…
Maybe you’re fixated on a missed opportunity…
It doesn’t matter. The past is the past. It might be difficult but you have to let it go and move on.
Remember, every trade is a fresh start.
Focus on the next 10, or even the next 100 trades, not just the last one.
And remember to record that loss in your trade journal so you can learn from what happened.
You want long-term consistency, not emotional reactions based on one trade.
Think Long-Term
If you’re trading to get rich tomorrow, you shouldn’t be trading. That’s for the casino.
Not to sound corny, but trading is a lifelong journey…seriously.
The goal isn’t to hit a home run on one trade. It’s to develop a system that allows you to trade successfully for years.
For me, trading isn’t just about making money. It’s about freedom.
It’s taken a long time but I stuck with it and it’s given me:
- The freedom to spend time with my family.
- The freedom to pursue my passions.
- The freedom to live life on my terms.
You could have this too but only if you’re willing to put in the work, show up every day, and stick to the plan.
If you’re serious about doing the work and sticking to that plan, you need the right tools.
At a minimum you need a great trading platform that features real-time data, charting, technical indicators and more.
My top pick is StocksToTrade, and I use it every single day. It has all the features you need to stay ahead of the game.
And right now, you can get two weeks of both the STT platform and our Breaking News Chat service for $17.
Grab your 14-day StocksToTrade + Breaking News Chat trial today for only $17!
My Final Thoughts…
Trading isn’t about predicting the future…it’s about managing risk and controlling emotions.
When things go wrong, cut your losses immediately.
If you’re frustrated, walk away.
Don’t let one trade define you—focus on the ones ahead.
And be in it for the long haul. Building your account is a marathon, not a sprint.
For additional trading mentorship, subscribe to my StocksToTrade Advisory service.
You’ll get a monthly newsletter with a list of my top picks, three weekly videos with my watchlists, bonus reports, and more.
Sign up for StocksToTrade Advisory right here!
Have a great day, everyone. See you back here tomorrow.
Tim Bohen
Lead Trainer, StocksToTrade
P.S.
I hope you’ll be around this Thursday, March 20th, at Noon ET…
See, I’ve discovered a trading phenomenon that has produced massive gains during a specific afternoon window.
This is just some of what I’ve seen so far…
93% with SOPA
140% with CPIX
99% with MGOL
And there are many more…
This market anomaly will trigger again on March 20th. That’s why you need to join me at noon so I can prepare you for what’s to come.
I promise you, you don’t want to miss this!