Have you ever had a solid trading plan, only to ignore it in the heat of the moment? You move a stop, double your size after a loss, or chase a trade out of FOMO, only to regret it later. This isn't just a "bad day"—it's self-sabotage. This episode is a deep dive into the psychology of why we get in our own way, answering the critical question:

How can I avoid self-sabotage in trading?

We unpack the common signs of self-sabotage—from overtrading and revenge trading to ignoring your own rules. Discover the deep-seated psychological triggers, like emotional overload, overconfidence, and even a hidden fear of success. Most importantly, we provide a complete, actionable toolkit to fight back. Learn to build "guardrails" for your mind, including hard risk controls, pre-trade checklists, accountability partners, and the power of a "loss recovery plan."

Your biggest enemy often isn't the market; it's you. Subscribe to learn the practical strategies to win that internal battle and trade with discipline.

Key Takeaways

• Self-Sabotage is a Pattern of Deviating From Your Plan: It's not a single mistake, but a collection of behaviors like breaking your own rules, overtrading, moving stops, ignoring risk management, and "revenge trading" that directly damage your results.
• It's Driven by Psychology, Not Just a Lack of Willpower: These behaviors are often triggered by emotional overload (fear, greed, frustration), impatience, overconfidence after a win, or a lack of deep trust in your strategy. Your rational brain gets hijacked by a fight-or-flight response.
• Awareness is the First Step: You can't fix what you don't see. You must build awareness by identifying your personal triggers. Are you most vulnerable after a loss? After a big win? When you're bored? A trading journal that tracks your emotional state is a critical tool for this.
• Build "Guardrails" and "Circuit Breakers": Don't rely on in-the-moment willpower. Create hard, non-negotiable rules before you trade. This includes a max daily loss limit, a max number of trades per day, and a mandatory break after a losing trade to cool off.
• Shift Your Identity to "Risk Manager": The ultimate mental shift is to see yourself as a risk manager first and a trader second. Your #1 job is not to make profits, but to protect your capital and follow your process with relentless discipline. The profits are the natural result of doing those two things well.

"Your number one job isn't actually to make profits. It's to protect your capital and follow your process with relentless discipline. If you do those two things exceptionally well, the profits tend to follow as a natural result over time."

Timestamped Summary

• (01:58) The 6 Signs of Self-Sabotage: A clear checklist of the common behaviors—from breaking rules and overtrading to revenge trading—that indicate you are getting in your own way.
• (03:27) Why We Do It: The Psychological Triggers: A deep dive into the root causes of self-sabotage, including emotional overload, lack of trust in your plan, impatience, and overconfidence.
• (09:10) The Toolkit: Practical Strategies to Fight Back: A complete set of actionable "guardrails" you can implement, including hard risk controls, pre-trade checklists, and taking a "trading diet" by reducing position size.
• (11:41) The Power of Journaling Your Emotions: Discover why your trading journal's most important function isn't tracking P&L, but spotting the emotional patterns and triggers that lead to bad decisions.
• (15:25) The Resilience Plan: Bouncing Back After a Slip-Up: A step-by-step process for what to do after you inevitably break a rule—focusing on learning wit

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