By Dr. M. Woodruff ("Woody") Johnson, Mastering the Mental Game and XLT Instructor
What kind of results are you getting in your trading? Are you violating your rules because you have been unable to keep your commitments, which have lead to disastrous draw downs and massive losses? Well, one of the things that is important in changing this scenario is to recalibrate what you are aiming for by targeting your thoughts to outcome thinking and results orientations.
Results orientation is about envisioning what you really want as if you stepped into the future and got it. This is towards thinking, a mental filter that determines where your focus is aiming. Towards thinking is moving proactively towards what you want by beginning with the end in mind. The alternative is to use an "away from" filter in your thinking. This type of approach focuses on what you don't want, which sets you up to get the very thing you are trying to avoid. It's much more powerful to focus with intention on the desired object in order to garner the energy and strength to work for you. For instance, moving to a new house because you found that perfect one you wanted; moving to a new job because you loved the opportunity; or identifying what you want in a broker and finding those features in one and making the move. Another is exercising to be fit, reducing stress because you enjoy feeling relaxed and focused, or cleaning the garage because you truly enjoy having storage space and being organized. Consider the difference:
- I want to be in good health vs. I don't want to be sick
- I want to be strong and physically fit vs. I don't want to be weak and out of shape
- I want a clean and organized garage vs. I don't want my garage to be cluttered and dirty
- I want to manage my emotions when I trade vs. I don't want my emotions to be out-of-control
- I want to exercise good money management vs. I don't want to violate my money management
Moving toward a goal creates focus by increasing the energy around the desired condition; your energy flows where your attention goes. Consider the statement: "Don't think about an elephant!" For most people, this suggestion is impossible to follow. Your subconscious mind has difficulty recognizing and processing negatives. When you tell yourself not to worry or not to make a mistake, you are actually programming yourself to do just that. However, if you program yourself to think about being calm or getting things right, you are dramatically increasing the chances of success.
Achievers, especially sports figures or other physical performance-oriented individuals, have mastered self-programming. They know if they are on the tee or the green and they let their thoughts wander to "not" choking, that is exactly what will happen. They know if they start worrying about hitting the ball out of the court, that is what they are programming themselves to do. Even if the bulk of their thinking is positive, they know a fleeting negative thought can make the difference between winning the point and losing it. They have modeled themselves on excellence.
How often have you said to yourself, "I mustn't do that" only to find yourself doing it? For instance, consider that Jack told himself that when the price action is accelerating on volume to be careful and breathe when he wants to enter and "Don't enter before the candle closes." Well, the very next time he gets into that situation, what do you think he will do? He enters as soon as he sees the candle beginning to blast off and gets filled at the top only to see it decline way back down right after he enters.
Results-oriented-thinking is about identifying what galvanizes your focus and your passion. It is about creating a sensory-rich vision of success around which you can build the fire of desire for what makes your heart sing. In other words, identifying that which you "really want." This process and many other tools and techniques are taught in our Mastering the Mental Game courses. Ask your Education Counselor about how you can take your mental game to the next level...and remember, trading is a 100% mental game. If you don't have mental and emotional tools in your tool box, it's like hammering a nail with your fist; it's not only painful, but causes lots of damage.
Have a great day.
- Woody Johnson
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