The Problem Isn’t What You Think It Is
The Thursday Trader's Tip edition offers to-the-point trading performance advice that can be read under 5 minutes.
Level up your mindset. Grow your PnL.
You don’t know what you don’t know.
That’s the reality for every trader at the beginning of a performance journey.
Most traders come into coaching thinking they need to fix one thing.
“I just need to stop overtrading.”
“If I just stick to my plan, everything will improve.”
“If I just take the missed trades, everything will change…”
They believe the issue is clear. But what they identify as the problem is just the symptom of something deeper.
And this is where many traders stay stuck. They fix that one thing—for a while, but the improvement doesn't last. Soon, another issue emerges. Or the same one resurfaces in a slightly different form.
The truth is they’re trying to solve surface-level issues without understanding the full picture underneath.
The default solution is usually:
Add more rules.
Consume more content.
Try harder to be disciplined.
But these approaches don’t expand the one thing that actually changes how you trade long-term:
Without it, you’re stuck in a loop trying to solve the wrong problem. You’re managing symptoms, not addressing root causes.
The Problem is Underneath
With my clients, the focus is different.
We begin by expanding self-awareness—zooming in on the pattern behind inconsistent execution.
What starts as a desire to stop overtrading reveals deeper beliefs:
Fear of missing out
A sense of urgency to prove oneself
Subtle habits built on emotional triggers
And once those patterns are made visible, a different way to work on the issue is unlocked.
That’s when real performance begins.
One Action Step For You
Pick one trading mistake that keeps repeating. Then ask yourself:
If this is just the surface—what could be driving it beneath the behavior?
Is it fear? Guilt? A desire to prove something? A belief about how success should look?
Don’t rush to fix it. Zoom in. Get curious. That’s where growth starts.
If you’re ready to work beyond surface level, the paid version of The High-Performing Trader dives deeper into case studies, tools, and step-by-step techniques I use with my clients.
Peaceful trading,
Sara
P.S. If you take value from this read, please leave a like.
Paid Subscriber Notes
Related Reads:
Many investors think they need a better stock pick or tighter stop-loss but what they actually need is better self-awareness. Trading issues are rarely technical; they’re often emotional, driven by hidden beliefs and unexamined fears.
Fixing the symptom without addressing the root is like changing a bandage without cleaning the wound. Long-term growth starts when you zoom in on why you behave the way you do in the markets.