First off, and this is especially for the inexperienced, try to isolate yourself from the crowd during your dedicated trading period. External noise is mostly a disturbance — and this not only applies in the physical world, but in the virtual world too.

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If you keep on listening to the opinions of friends and fellow traders on the internet, it will be very difficult to actually develop an understanding of the market through your OWN eyes.

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Silence the noise, then lock it in.

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Secondly, remove physical distractions from your immediate area. Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ if you have the opportunity to do so.

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You don’t want to answer a call from your friend about something unimportant, hang up and realize you missed a golden entry — this means you weren’t focused and the result can be taxing on your mental capital.

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You’re likely to be annoyed at yourself for missing a move you spent a lot of time waiting for, and now you’re emotionally disturbed. The next trade now puts you at a higher risk of going against your plan to make up for your mistakes. It’s a snowball effect of bad decisions, and not the road you want to take for a place to be at your mental best.

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Lastly, stop taking the lazy way out to avoid discomfort. It’s fine to take trades from your phone, but doing all your analysis on your phone in bed is another. Taking the lazy option may not feel like you’re committing a cardinal sin, but what many don’t realize is that in doing so, you’re setting yourself for bad habits ahead. Lazy trading and profitable traders are like oil and water — they don’t mix.

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Find an office-like space with a desk and computer device, be it a laptop or desktop, that you know will put you at an advantage over your phone. You’ll be able to see your chart mark-up better from a larger screen, too. Remember once again, markets are fractal, we need to look at previous levels. 

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If you have to get up out of bed at 6am Mon — Fri to take advantage of volume, do it without fail. Consistency is everything. Showing up every day and following the same plan over and over again.

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Set your alarms.

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Declutter your trading workspace.

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Journal your trading performance.

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Make the sacrifices now so that your future self will thank you.

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