How do you stop your mood from being controlled by your P&L?
I’ve noticed a pattern in myself over the last 8 months of trading: green day, I feel great, confident, like I’ve got life figured out. Red day, everything feels heavier, even things unrelated to money.
It’s not just about the money itself anymore, it’s that I’ve let a number on a screen decide how my whole day goes, sometimes how I treat people, how I see myself, whether I feel like “I’m doing well in life” or not.
I know logically this isn’t healthy. But knowing that hasn’t been enough to actually change it.
So I wanted to ask people who’ve been trading, investing, or even just dealing with unpredictable income for longer than I have:
Did this ever stop being tied to your identity for you, or does it just get more manageable with time?
Did you build any specific habit or rule that separated “how my trades did” from “how my day/mood goes”?
Is there a difference in how people who’ve been doing this 5+ years relate to losses compared to someone 8 months in, or does everyone struggle with this at some level?
I don’t think the fix is “stop caring,” because that’s not realistic. I think the fix is something more specific that I haven’t found yet. Curious what’s actually worked for people who’ve been through this longer than me.
Started because I needed the money, not the thrill. But fair point, the pattern can look the same either way…
I can assure you trading is not your way out of this. There’s a whole industry of gurus targeting people to sell a dream of independence.
Save your money and develop skill(s) that result in a tangible product or service that people will pay for. Nothing wrong if you need to pick up a job in food service or retail to support yourself while you figure that out.