Following The Doctor's Orders
"Just as we commonly hear people say the doctor prescribed someone particular riding exercises, or ice baths, or walking without shoes, we should in the same way say that nature prescribed someone to be diseased, or disabled, or to suffer any kind of impairment. In the case of the doctor, prescribed means something ordered to help aid someone's healing. But in the case of nature, it means that what happens to each of us is ordered to help aid our destiny."
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.8
Today's meditation is really tough to compare to trading.
I suppose you could say that following our trading plan to the letter and sticking to it 100% of the time, is more like preventative medicine in a way; we are self-prescribing, because we know what works for us, as long as we rigidly follow and stick to the rules/criteria for our strategies.
This way we are avoiding the anger, stress, revenge trading, going full tilt, chasing losses, etc. etc. because we are managing our trades fully to completion, by reacting before we are in an unmanageable trading position.
This means that we stay calm, focused and "in the zone" when we are trading. Seeing our wins far outweigh an occasional loss here and there, gives us a satisfying boost that we have developed a trading edge, or an advantage if you like.
So a bit like the saying "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away," in trading terms we could say "managing trades every day, keeps the anger and stress away!"
I am sure a few of you could think of some similar examples, so keep them coming, if you can think of any!
On reflection, we have our own self-prescribed trading orders to follow, ensuring that we have a healthy and positive trading mindset, as we develop and grow on our trading journey.
This truly is preventative medicine that no doctor will ever prescribe to you; but would this be as good as medicine if it was prescribed to you?
Food for thought?