FOMO - The Urge That Costs You TwiceNOTE: This is a post on Mindset and emotion. It is NOT a Trade idea or strategy designed to make you money. I’m posting this to help you preserve your capital, energy and will so you can execute your own trading system with calm, patience and confidence.
So here we are, Gold kissing 4000.
It’s been on a tear and hasn’t looked back.
Relentless. Higher, higher, higher.
Now imagine being the trader who stalked this setup… but missed the entry.
The setup was clean. The context made sense.
But you hesitated. You wanted confirmation.
And now it’s gone.
At first, you tell yourself you’re fine.
You’ll wait for the pullback.
But the longer you watch, the more unsettled you become.
Your legs bounce.
Your breath shortens.
Price rips higher without you.
And the thought slips in…
“I can’t miss this.”
Before you know it, your hand hovers over the button
ready to break your own rules just to feel part of the move.
What’s really happening inside you:
Thoughts:
“Argghh… I knew it. Ok, it’s moving. Wait for the pullback.”
“Urgh… another headline, it keeps moving up… everyone else is in.”
“It’s not pulling back. This is the move I’ve been waiting for. Missing out is worse than losing.”
“I’ll never forgive myself if I just watch this go without me.”
Feelings: Restlessness. Envy. Urgency.
Behaviours: Dropping timeframes, chasing moves, flipping charts, forcing setups.
Body cues: Buzzing energy in chest or stomach, jittery hands, shallow breath, can’t sit still.
The Trigger:
Watching a move take off without you, especially after hesitation stopped you last time. Watching price rise without a look back. Everyone's talking about it. It’s on the newsfeed. ‘Record highs’. ‘Biggest day ever’.
Why it feels so powerful:
FOMO isn’t about the market. it’s about survival wiring.
Your brain equates “missing out” with exclusion, being left out.
So urgency feels safer than patience.
Acting now, even without an edge, feels like relief, because at least you’re doing something.
The real cost:
FOMO makes you chase highs and sell lows.
It costs you twice.
Once when you chase the move and lose.
And again when you lose faith in your own process.
Each time you act on urgency, you train your nervous system to link tension with execution.
That’s how confidence quietly drains away.
How to shift it:
Pause & name it: say out loud, “This is FOMO.” Awareness loosens its grip.
Breathe into it: slow your breath until your body settles. Teach your system that calm not chaos precedes execution.
Anchor: remind yourself the market is infinite. “It takes a second to wreck it… it takes time to build.” Beastie Boys
Reset: ask, “If I hadn’t seen that move, would I still take this setup?” If not, stand down.
Missing a move hurts but chasing it turns one mistake into two.
Discipline pays you back; impulse never does.
The market will always offer another opportunity.
Your edge is keeping your nerve, calm and self-control until it does.
By the way, for those that missed the Non Farm post last week. Turns out that Non Farm has been re-scheduled for this Friday... (but they can always reschedule again). Check this link out for anyone lining up for Non Farm this week.
