The Perfect Process but Still Struggling? Be the MONKEY !!!

Where Discipline Supersedes Emotion

Hello Traders have I got a doozy for you today…….

Imagine you have the perfect plan—a solid trading process where the numbers are in your favor—and yet, you still struggle to stay consistent. You look back at your day, or maybe the past week, and think, “I was in this trade, and I was in that one too, but somehow I messed it up, or somehow I lost money.” It’s brutal, right? Seeing trades you planned meticulously, where you had the edge, and still coming up short—either missing profits or watching your account take a hit. It hurts. It’s almost defeating mentally, especially when this cycle repeats over and over again. Well, take a deep breath, because you’re not alone. This troubles even the best traders out there, and it happens way more often than most care to admit.

Having a killer trade plan or a profitable process is only half the battle to becoming a consistently profitable trader. Sure, a solid methodology where the odds tilt in your favor is critical—no argument there—but the part that plays the biggest role in your success? It’s you. Yep, you can be your own worst enemy and not even see it coming. I know this firsthand—it’s plagued me for years. I’ve spent countless hours studying, tweaking, and perfecting my approach, and yet, I still struggle to string together a good run. Why does this happen? What makes some days pure gold and others an absolute nightmare? A lot of it boils down to our headspace and, more importantly, how we handle ourselves after we hit that execute button. Everything’s smooth sailing until the trade’s live—then emotions sneak in, and our process starts to wobble.

The Emotional Trap Most Traders Fall Into

For maybe 5% of traders—those rare unicorns—discipline comes naturally. They stick to their plan like robots, unfazed by the chaos. But for the rest of us mere mortals, throw in some volatility or a dose of emotional turbulence, and that cool, calm demeanor? Out the window, along with “what we’re supposed to do.” It’s human nature. This is why surgeons and pilots rely on checklists. They work in high-pressure gigs where one slip-up can spell disaster. If something goes sideways, emotions spike, and it’s easy to miss critical steps while scrambling to manage the mess. Trading’s no different. You go in with a plan, but then a news event hits, or the market doesn’t move quite like you expected, and boom—impulse takes over. Maybe you close a trade too early or, worse, start fiddling with your stop. Our brains are wired to protect us from harm, but in trading, that instinct can derail us, making us forget the key pieces of our process as emotions run wild.

And look, I get it—we all talk about having a trading plan and sticking to it. But it’s not just about nailing key levels or spotting the perfect setup. Your plan’s got to cover risk management too—how much you’re willing to put on the line per trade and sticking to it. I’m pretty darn good at finding the right spots for a reaction—patting myself on the back here—but where I trip up? Moving my stop. You might say, “Well, just stop doing that!” Sounds easy, right? In theory, sure. But in practice, it’s a beast. My personal Achilles’ heel has been over-sizing—not at the start, mind you, but after the trade’s rolling. I’ll enter with my risk dialed in, all accounted for, and then I get greedy. The trade starts moving my way, and I pile on, throwing my initial risk out of whack. So, what do I do? I move my stop up—sometimes to a swing low, sometimes to break even—anywhere but where it’s supposed to be. Or I’ll trail it too tight, not giving the trade room to breathe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched a trade go in my favor, moved my stop to break even (because I’m too heavy), gotten tagged out, and then seen it rocket off without me. Looking back at those trades I just cringe—it really wears you down, man.

This isn’t some new bad habit I picked up either. Flipping through my old journals, this stop-moving nonsense has been haunting me for years. It’s like a broken record in my notes: stop placement, stop placement, stop placement. Everyone’s got their kryptonite—turns out, this is mine.

Checklists: The Antidote to Emotional Chaos

So, what’s the fix? For me, it’s been checklists. Yep, just like those high-performing, high-stress pros—surgeons, pilots—why should trading be any different? Trading’s one of the toughest gigs out there. You’ve got to bring your A-game every single day, no breaks. Pro athletes get off days—heck, football players only suit up once a week—but us traders? We’re in the trenches daily. No redos, no boss to pat you on the back and say, “It’s okay, try again tomorrow.” Screw up, and it’s etched in stone—you eat the consequences.

Here’s what I’ve done to keep my head screwed on straight: I’ve got a pre-market checklist and a pre-trade checklist. Reviewing these every day, before every trade, gives me this unshakable confidence that, win or lose, I’ve stuck to my process. And that’s huge. You can have a killer edge, but if you’re tweaking your approach trade-to-trade—letting emotions or market mood swings dictate little changes—you’ll never truly see that edge play out. It turns into this discretionary mess, and good luck putting up steady results with that.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

This post is really just a friendly nudge to everyone out there: having a perfect plan and a razor-sharp read on the market doesn’t magically turn into profits. The biggest fight in this game is with OURSELVES. No other gig strips you down like trading does, pitting you against your own quirks and flaws day in, day out. We’ve all heard that old line, “Trade like a robot.” Well, newsflash: humans have emotions—unless you’re a total psycho (lol)—so that’s a tall order for most of us. I’ve told my wife a million times, “If I could train a monkey to do exactly what I say, I’d be a multimillionaire!” And honestly, if you’re anything like me, maybe it’s time to channel that “be the monkey” vibe. Following your plan to the letter sounds simple, but when emotions are screaming, it’s a whole different ballgame.

That’s where a checklist comes in clutch—a step-by-step guide for what you should be doing pre-market and before every trade. It’s like a lifeline, keeping you steady and building those rock-solid habits. Define your process for stops and sizing. Lay out your first targets, when (or if) to move your stop, how to handle your runners—all of it. Write it down, follow it to a T, and watch it strip the emotion right out of the equation. It keeps you in the game and, dare I say, more profitable. Will losses still happen? You bet—they’re baked into trading, our cost of doing business. Don’t kid yourself into thinking you can dodge them at all costs. I’ve learned the hard way that bending over backwards to avoid a loss has cost me 10x more down the road or made me miss out on trades I was already in. We’ve got a process for a reason—trust it. Better yet, use your checklist to trust yourself to do the right thing every time. Consistency comes from repeating that process like a robot—or, you know, a monkey. So, be the monkey and rake in the money!

Putting It Into Action

I’ve included the two checklists I use—one for pre-market to kick off my day, and one that sits by my side for every trade. I’m not saying copy mine verbatim—nah, use them as a starting point to build something that fits your groove. Tweak them, make them yours, and put a process in place that works for you.

Click HERE for a LINK to Checklist

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this little ramble. This struggle’s been gnawing at me for years, and it’s taken some serious soul-searching—and a hefty dose of discipline—to start turning the tide. I wish you all the best in your trading journey. With the right grit and commitment and a “be the monkey attitude”, we’ll conquer these markets together.

Id love to hear about the things that plage you in your trading journey. Feel free to comment on this post so others can relate to Our struggles.

Ryan Bailey
Vici Trading Solutions