I had a thought this morning while considering a few trades:
Maybe part of why I still struggle at trading sometimes is because there’s a part of me that really, really wants to follow an instruction manual to be successful.
In other areas of my life, that mindset serves me well.
I don’t know how to cook—but give me step-by-step directions, and I thrive. When we used to get HelloFresh boxes delivered, I crushed those meals. I followed the instructions, made something delicious and useful for my family, and felt like a total champ.
Following the instructions = success. I like that. I crave that.
But trading isn’t like that.
I can lay out a well-thought-out plan—how to select the trade, how to size it, how to manage it—and still lose money.
The market doesn’t care that I followed the recipe.
There’s no gold star just for executing cleanly.
And yeah, I know a successful outcome in trading is supposed to mean I followed my plan with discipline. I know.
But that doesn’t make a loss feel any better. Which leads to the uncomfortable question I’ve been sitting with:
If I only thrive when I have a proven step-by-step manual to follow… can I ever be great in a game that offers none?
I don’t have a satisfying answer.
But I do know this: it takes courage, belief, and intestinal fortitude to keep putting on trades in an uncertain world.
So that’s what I’m doing.
Over the past several trading days I’ve made bullish bets in:
Rocket Lab $RKLB – a speculative long with big upside potential
Intercontinental Exchange $ICE – a steady performer I trust
Hudbay Minerals $HBM – a commodity name showing signs of life
These aren’t trades from a recipe card.
There’s no guarantee they’ll work.
But I’m backing my preparation, my gut, and my experience.
No manual. Just belief.
And that’s something I’m trying to get more comfortable with.
Sean McLaughlin | Chief Options Strategist, All Star Charts
