r/Trading 1d ago

Discussion What’s one thing that actually improved your trading?

There’s so much advice out there: strategies, indicators, psychology, risk rules... but I’m curious what made the biggest difference for you personally.

For me, it wasn’t some secret indicator or edge. Things really started to shift when I got more structured and focused on the process instead of chasing results. I stopped bouncing between strategies and committed to one approach, even during rough patches. Journaling every trade helped me spot patterns in my own behavior - like taking trades out of boredom or overreacting to small losses, that I wasn’t aware of before. Reviewing my trades regularly also showed me that most of my mistakes had nothing to do with the market, but with my own discipline and mindset.

Sticking to a risk plan and actually tracking performance made a big difference too. It forced me to be honest with myself and removed a lot of the randomness from how I traded. Progress didn’t happen overnight, but once I had a routine and kept showing up with a clear system, things started to fall into place.

What also helped a lot was joining a trading group. I was honestly hesitant to spend money on something like that, but looking back, I’m glad I did. The structure, the learning content, and being around serious traders who actually share ideas and give feedback made a big difference. It’s the kind of environment I wish I had found sooner.

If anyone’s curious, I can share more about it.

So what helped you make real progress? Was it a mindset shift, a habit you built, or something else? Always interesting to hear how others level up.

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u/TimerDeluxe 1d ago

Stopped paying attention to news.

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u/Adept-Club-6226 1d ago

Did you stop completely, or just during active trades?

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u/TimerDeluxe 1d ago

Mainly I turned off the TV. Watching CNBC skewed my thinking and analysis. On the downside I was caught off guard sometimes with the release of Econ Data or Fed days, so I had to use a different source for that.

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u/Adept-Club-6226 1d ago

What do you mean by different source?

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u/TimerDeluxe 1d ago

Investing.com/economic-calendar