The Start of My Journey to Becoming a Disciplined Trader

Today marks the official start of my trading journey, the day I stop “thinking about trading seriously” and actually begin building the habits of a disciplined trader.

For years, I have been fascinated by the markets. The idea that you can read charts, understand price action, and make calculated decisions leading to real financial gains is both exciting and humbling.

But I also know the truth: trading is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a skill, and like any skill, it takes time, practice, and discipline.

Why I’m Taking Trading Seriously Now

I’ve dabbled in the markets before, but it was inconsistent with some random trades here and there, no clear plan, no real accountability.

This time is different. I’m committing to:

Learning my setups inside out
Following risk management rules
Keeping a detailed trading journal
Reviewing and improving every week

I want to trade like a professional, even if I’m just starting.

Why I Love Trading

Freedom: The ability to make decisions and live life on my own terms.
Challenge: Every day in the markets is a mental test.
Growth: Trading forces you to learn about the markets and yourself.

The more I’ve studied, the more I’ve realized trading is as much about psychology as it is about strategy.

My Biggest Expected Challenges

Since I haven’t placed my first official trade in this journey yet, I’ve been thinking ahead about the mistakes I want to avoid:

Overtrading: Jumping into the market without solid setups.
Breaking Rules: Ignoring my stop loss or taking profits too early.
Chasing Trades: Entering late because I don’t want to miss out.
Not Tracking Performance: Relying on memory instead of data.

Why I’m Documenting Every Step

From this point forward, I’m going to share everything:

My wins (big or small)
My losses (and what I learned)
My emotional state before and after trades

I want this to be a transparent record of what it actually takes to grow from a beginner to a disciplined trader.

Why I’m Using a Trading Journal to Track My Progress

One thing every successful trader seems to have in common is data tracking. They know their numbers, their strengths, and their weaknesses.

That’s why I’m starting with the TickrNote Trading Journal (Free Version) from day one. It’s going to help me:

Log every trade with entry/exit details, risk/reward, and notes
Identify which strategies work best
Track my win rate and profit factor
Spot emotional patterns that lead to bad trades

Even though I don’t have trade history yet, I’ve already set up my journal. Here’s a sample of how it will look:

Sample Journal Entry (Example)

This is an example entry — I’ll replace these with real trades as I go.

Date: [Example: March 10, 2025]
Ticker: AAPL
Setup: Breakout above resistance
Direction: Long
Entry Price: $195.50
Exit Price: $197.80
Stop Loss: $194.90
R/R Ratio: 3:1
P/L: +2R gain
Notes: Waited for confirmation — followed plan 100%.

Looking Ahead

Right now, my trading account is a blank slate, no wins, no losses just potential. My goal is clear: become a disciplined, consistent trader who makes decisions based on data, not emotion.

Over the next weeks and months, I’ll be sharing my progress here, chart by chart, trade by trade.

If you’re on a similar journey, let’s grow together.

📥 Download Your Free TickrNote Trading Journal
I’m using the TickrNote journal from day one and you can too.
👉 [Download Link]

Let’s build discipline one trade at a time.

Tickr Note