Why Traders Lose Their Discipline

By Roger Baettig | June 21 2012 5:30 AM

When traders lose money, they often attribute the problem to a lapse of discipline. Such a lack of consistency, however, is actually the result of many different problems--not the cause. Traders lose discipline with trading for the same reasons that dieters lose discipline with dieting or people getting in shape lose discipline with exercise. Quite simply, our moods, needs, and mind states of the moment tend to overwhelm our longer-range intentions. We pursue short-term pleasures (and avoid short-term discomfort) at the expense of longer-term rewards.

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Here are some common reasons why traders (and most other human beings!) fall short of being fully intentional:

Environmental distractions and boredom cause a lack of focus - All of us have limits to our attention span and these are easily taxed during quiet times in the market;

Fatigue and mental overload create a loss of concentration - The demands of watching the screen hour after hour make it difficult to be sharp, creating fatigue effects that are well-known to pilots, car drivers, and soldiers;

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