Certainly Uncertain - How Much Confirmation Do You Need?

So ... you have what looks like a set up.

"Just one more bar"
"Just wait for the close"
"Wait for this indicator to align"
"Watch for the next to align"
"Ensure this filter shows ‘green lights go’"


But by the time everything lines up
The move has gone.
The horse has bolted

You fumble to enter - all fingers and thumbs
You ‘feel’ like you’re chasing
Perhaps the moment has passed.

Flummoxed - you wonder - what the heck happened here?
Feel familiar?

The search for absolute certainty shows up in subtle ways:

Emotions:
Anxiety builds. A conflict between wanting to act and restraining the impulse. Applying self control with will … but the body and mind unsettled.

Thoughts:
Endless “what if” scenarios.
What if I miss it.
What if it goes without me
What if I just try and get ahead of this at a better price

Physical Cues:
Tension rises in the body showing up as a hand hovering over the mouse, heart rate climbing - eyes fixated on the screens, backside glued to the seat (for fear of missing it).

If you’ve ever experienced this, you may recognise it as feeling cautious or disciplined.
In the pursuit of being disciplined and true to your rules you feel out of alignment and hesitant.

Markets are uncertain by nature.
If we choose to engage with uncertainty, then surely the job is to create a sense of certainty within ourselves.

The question is how do you do this currently?

A coping mechanism that might help:

Breathe.
Centering your breath is one of the most under rated and effective ways to calm ones nervous system.
Reframe your entry as a probability, not a verdict.
Before you click, remind yourself: This trade doesn’t have to be certain, it just has to meet my criteria. Then execute and let the outcome be data - not proof of your worth. Adopt the mantra… ‘ This is one trade in a 1000’

Cultivate the state of certainty in uncertain environments one trade at a time.