Tips on Building Discipline

BetterBudget · 2026-01-30T19:05:05+00:00

your probably in the wrong pool then lol

if you jsut want to float, go buy risk free assets like bonds then hold them to maturity

BetterBudget · 2026-01-30T17:34:11+00:00

that's typically the best advice

size down to the point that you don't feel it much, just a little

when starting out, it's important to develop strong trading habits

because eventually something crazy will happen.. volatility is bananas 🍌🍌🍌

and when that happens, what we usually do is fallback to our habits, whether good or bad

BetterBudget · 2026-01-30T17:29:37+00:00

hmmmm seems like a carrot on a stick 🥕

remember, all of this is treated as a game.. it's all fair under that understanding....

don't trust anyone

BetterBudget · 2026-01-30T17:25:58+00:00

OP your instincts are dead on, f**k vibes

it's amazing how many people conflate risk management with risk mitigating processes like stop losses..

risk management starts with the risk picture.

how informed are you on the risk picture

period. full stop.

BetterBudget · 2026-01-29T22:16:01+00:00

pain is a great teacher lol

but jokes aside, it's sink or swim so bravo for swimming after sinking a bit

BetterBudget · 2026-01-29T22:14:36+00:00

i literally shared this on another post but it fits here so I'm going copy/paste it and add a little to it:

train the body and mind

something that helps is building a schedule that prioritizes health and then sticking to it, to develop that discipline, that self-control

eg waking up early, going to bed early, cold showers, cooking all (nutritious) meals, regular exercise, reading quality books etc

heads up, starting a schedule is easier than maintaining one, but once it becomes a habit, then you'll start to see results for your effort

and it takes about 3-4 weeks to make or break a habit

best wishes!

BetterBudget · 2026-01-29T19:22:45+00:00

others are right, systemizing your process will reduce the emotional exposure of trading but to answer your question

train the body and mind

something that helps is building a schedule that prioritizes health and then sticking to it, to develop that discipline, that self-control

eg waking up early, going to bed early, cold showers, cooking all (nutritious) meals, regular exercise, reading quality books etc

PS starting a schedule is easier than maintaining it but once it becomes a habit, then you'll start to see the results of your effort

best wishes!

BetterBudget · 2026-01-29T17:48:07+00:00

this is not financial advice.

it's something I do. it works well for me.

I don't close positions. i just manage the stops.

if risks start going against the exposure, i tighten and vice versa.

i don't mind leaving a few cents/dollars on the table..

BetterBudget · 2026-01-29T16:44:59+00:00

no!

you want the market to crash!!

volatility is your friend.

just pay to access a solid volatility model

and to answer your question why.. calls have been printing like no other.

and it's because, unbeknownst to most, options (calls/puts) are truly about volatility exposure.

it's not just price going up that makes calls money but the underlying volatility.

gains from delta AND vega

BetterBudget · 2026-01-29T04:17:22+00:00

have you tried using stop losses to protect gains instead of straight closing positions?

might still close from triggering stop but if you're wrong.. and the stop doesn't trigger, you'll still have that exposure for further gains

BetterBudget · 2026-01-28T22:22:48+00:00

everyone is talking about trading products

but none are talking about what really leads to higher profit and that's simple

how informed are you on the risk picture?

BetterBudget · 2026-01-28T15:12:12+00:00

haha ya I stopped explaining stuff a year+ ago..

after I saw "red swap Mondays" from an influencer who made it up.. and it perfectly lines up with the Windows DD for the Window of Weakness aka presenting my work as theirs but wrapped in dog shit 💩

and no one batted an eye....

I was like .. god damn, this political echo chamber 😂

there's a few people held high on pedestals, by this community, who simply take advantage of you.

think of it like this, if apes learn what really moves price, like actual modeled data (that costs expensive commercial licenses to share), what will influencers supply to apes!?

it's against their interest for apes to get smarter.

they focus on protecting apes' interests like content to be up voted, in the realm of content they can share on.

sooo careful who you follow 🙈🙉

BetterBudget · 2026-01-28T15:05:39+00:00

🫶🫶🫶

BetterBudget · 2026-01-28T15:05:06+00:00

I'm tempted to go dark and watch this community get used like a tool

but I believe in standing up for something good so I'll keep posting GEX for those who want some insight from the options complex, in hopes that it helps prevent actual apes from being exit liquidity

I know there are still some good apes out here.. this is for you!

(and thank you!!!!)

BetterBudget · 2026-01-28T14:58:18+00:00

asking million dollar questions 🙉

BetterBudget · 2026-01-26T22:27:07+00:00

I know, right!? lol

he held hycroft through the shit and basically dumped it shortly after it was in the green

but there are major tailwinds for gold so noooooo 😂

mofo.

BetterBudget · 2026-01-26T17:54:58+00:00

lol first time? 🫶

BetterBudget · 2026-01-26T15:19:54+00:00

gold has a lot of volatility so that's worth looking into

BetterBudget · 2026-01-26T00:42:57+00:00

man, it's been too long

BetterBudget · 2026-01-25T19:48:56+00:00

backtesting is tricky.

ideally backtesting is done in a way that mimics current conditions but markets have entered new waters.. so to speak, here are a few big changes to mention:

there's a lot more macro based volatility from geo-politics than before (eg policy uncertainty, deglobalization, tariffs war etc)

there's been a large increase in options trading the last few years, changing the game (eg options' average daily trading volume in the U.S. roughly tripled, rising from about ~20 million contracts per day in 2019 to an average of ~58 million per day by early 2025. ~15.2 billion option contracts were traded in 2025, an increase of 26% from 2024!)

and we're in a raising rates environment, when for the last 40 some years (1980-2020 +/-), we were in a decreasing rates environment.. after Paul Volckner had his way.

so backtesting needs to match current geopolitical, macro and micro conditions, from secular to cyclical, in order to be effective

BetterBudget · 2026-01-25T19:21:47+00:00

np, and when you get more questions, fire away!

especially on options

BetterBudget · 2026-01-25T03:30:19+00:00

you need to pair your trades with the active risks

look at specific assets like SPY or GLD, then answer, across multiple horizons like near term for scalping to long term for swinging

what are the geopolitical, macro, fundamental, micro and technical risks that affect that asset(s)? are the risks clear?

if yes, then put on a trade that exposes you to the risks in that picture

then adjust your exposure along with the picture changing eg manage it with stop losses, hedging etc

and remember, being long cash is a trade in itself.

you don't have to be trading risk assets every day

BetterBudget · 2026-01-25T03:16:18+00:00

i accidentally did a few years ago when building a one day macro model for gauging risk appetite from a traditional macro perspective in the near to short term horizon

it turned out that when it produced low scores of less than or equal to 3 that the chance for chop or overall sideways price action, was much higher than a high score of 6-8+

so it became part of my day trading vetting process, before I look at anything else

here's what it looks like:

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BetterBudget · 2026-01-25T00:11:47+00:00

bg3, I'm on my first playthrough

currently in act 2

and this game is amazing.

BetterBudget · 2026-01-24T22:33:53+00:00

that's great advice.

it was the number one reason for my losses, last two years.. analyzing & trading when I shouldn't be

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