Most of the time when I start writing it comes from a thought flowing into a sentence and a desire within that moment to put it on paper. The moment, being ripe with my muse present, the flow begins and I write.  The universe is such a vast supplier of information when one is open to its abundance.

Not this time; somehow this time, every topic I began writing about, ran dry. I felt shut down and shut out   I imagined and fretted and analyzed over what I need to do in order to shake the trouble monkey off my back and perform as needed, yet I could not. “Think, Think!” I told the brain. “Think about what?” asked the brain. Finally, I did what every good writer does: find a title, and start writing. Except nothing gelled and I scrapped them all.

All the while my muse just stood silently by, waiting for my sanity to return.

“Analyze!” said I. “Analyze what?” said the brain. I felt analysis was necessary because I am now reaching a new and expanding audience.  The struggle lasted several days because I kept ignoring the truth that I just needed to keep writing about this nutty, consuming, enjoyable, occupation. I over thought it and I kept over thinking it until finally it have become an obsession. Then I realized! It is precisely that! Over thinking turns into an obsession, which gives way to chase.

Trying to chase the thoughts around the brain to congeal into one coherent one is difficult when one is not centered; and I certainly have not been centered.

It is when we are not centered that we tend to “overthink”, analyze and chase. What we are looking for is elusive because it is all emotion; yet we are fooled into thinking it’s what we are supposed to do: be logical, when common sense will do.

In trading if we’ve done it for longer than “a cup of coffee”, as Quint likes to say, we have achieved some point of automation where from the sheer practice of trading we know instinctively what to do. Yet, finger poised on the mouse, we don’t click. Entry or exit it doesn’t matter; we don’t do the act. Our solar plexus screams at us “go” yet the brain is thinking. Brains are suppose to think and if we are not centered, we tend to focus on what the brain is saying and, as we all know, the brain tends to tell us stories about when, what and where; full of fear usually, it takes over our psyche and we freeze into non-action because now we are thinking about all the possibilities that can happen. Result being: “Overthink”.

As we watch the ticker, going the way we surmised in the first place, it dawns on us that the thinking took away the opportunity and when that happens, emotions kick in. You know them, don’t you? Emotions have “lovely” things to say about ourselves while mocking and jeering at us. And THEN we act! Drats! The mouse gets pushed the click is too late to take back, and we’re off on a chase.  Usually, prayer is next.

So, what I am trying to say is: when not centered, keep your hand off that mouse? Well that would be obvious but we are not always aware that we’ve strayed.  Maybe the best thing to do to avoid such undisciplined acts is to put in your entry/exits when you first map the chart. You can adjust them as the situation may change, but it will help you do the act without emotion.

Happy Trading, Dancing and Living
Anni

“Hi muse, did I do well?”  “Thanks for being here!”