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NIAL FULLER Nial Fuller
Professional Trader, Author & Coach

Nial Fuller’s Guide to Successful Forex Trading in 2012

2011-year-resolution-400x4002011 is coming to an end and there’s no better time than now to kick all the negative trading habits that plagued your trading this year and start 2012 off with a fresh and positive start. Today’s lesson is going to give you a comprehensive yet concise guide to clean up your trading strategy and your trading psychology. Whether you are new to the markets or experienced and looking for some new insight, today’s article is going to provide you with some solid tips to help change the way you think about trading and gear you up for a successful trading year ahead.

Take some time off from the markets before the New Year

The first thing you should do before you start trading in 2012 is take about a week off from trading; do not enter any real money trades for at least one week. This will give you time to calm your mind and to reflect on your trading results from 2011. You should use this time to amend and update your Forex trading plan to reflect any new things you have learned over the previous year’s trading. If you don’t have a trading plan then obviously making one should be a priority during your time off from the markets.

You should use this time off from the markets to solidify your trading strategy and get organized and disciplined. The best offense in trading is a good defense, by this I mean defending yourself from emotional trading mistakes is the easiest way to make money, because trading emotionally is the reason why so many traders lose money in the markets. So, be sure you have the following points in order before you start trading in 2012:

• Make sure you have an effective trading strategy like price action that you have ‘mastered’; you should have no doubt as to what you are looking for in the markets.

• Have a trading plan and use it; if you don’t have a trading plan built around your trading strategy, you need to build one now, if you do have one you’ll need to re-vamp it so you are ready for the New Year.

• Be an organized trader; make sure you track your trades in a trading journal and that your trading office is organized and uncluttered.

• Trading psychology; remember that trading psychology is perhaps the most important element to long-term success. To forge and maintain the proper trading psychology you need to focus on become disciplined and maintaining this discipline every time you trade.

Take your Forex trading strategy to the next level

If you don’t have a Forex trading strategy or you are jumping between strategies, vow to master one strategy, like price action trading, and make it ‘yours’. You need to truly become a master of your trading strategy so that there is no doubt in your mind about what you are looking for in the markets every time you open your charts.

If you waffled between different trading strategies and systems in 2011, make a vow to focus on truly learning and mastering one trading strategy in 2012. If you want to learn to read and understand the natural price dynamics in the markets, you can focus your efforts on learning to trade off price action analysis, this will allow you to get ‘in tune’ with the markets and will give you an effective trading strategy to build your trading plan around.

If you have been studying price action over the last year but you just don’t feel as confident with as you want to, take your knowledge of it to the next level by getting a comprehensive price action trading education. Learning price action from someone like me who has traded it for nearly 10 years, will only help you solidify your understanding of price action and how to apply it in the markets.

Plan your trades and trade your plan

aristotleTrading plans are important; I have discussed this topic a lot in previous articles as you might be aware. But, the bottom line is that if you did not have a trading plan in 2011, or you had one but didn’t use it, you need to vow to create a solid Forex trading plan in 2012. A trading plan is where you solidify all the knowledge and understanding you have about your trading strategy and condense it down into an easy to follow guide that you use to navigate the markets with.

You should aim to include all the details of your trading strategy in your trading plan, including what your trade setups consist of, how to trade them, and when to trade them. You also need to include you money management plan within your Forex trading plan. This should include things like how much money you will risk per trade and what your overall profit taking strategy is. The process of creating a trading plan shows that you understand exactly what you are looking for and what you are going to do in the markets.

The bottom line is that you need to create a trading plan to consolidate all of your trading knowledge and put into a practical format that allows you to trade the market from an objective guide, instead of trading on the run or off your emotions.

Take the extra step: become an organized trader

How much thought have you actually put into becoming an organized Forex trader? If you are like a lot of traders the honest answer is probably about 0. The fact is that trading is a profession where your mindset is absolutely critical to becoming consistently successful, and since our work environment and level of organization has a direct impact on our mindset, it goes without saying that you need to organize yourself and your trading environment if you want to make a positive change in your trading results in 2012.

I won’t go into great detail on setting up your trading room, as I have already written an article on setting up a Forex trading room for optimal results. But, you should be aware that if you are trying to trade from a messy and cluttered desk or room, you are probably going to get distracted. You need to make a clean and uncluttered environment to trade from, if that means going to your local coffee shop each day to analyze the markets, then that’s what you should do.

The other key component to becoming an organized trader is to create a Forex trading journal to track your trading progress in. If you don’t have a trading journal you can click on the link in the previous sentence and check out my article on trading journals and download the free one I provide you within the article. Trading journals are just as important as trading plans, and you need both to stay disciplined, organized, and to forge the proper Forex trading psychology. Do everything you can to put the odds in your favor BEFORE you start trading…most traders don’t do this, and this greatly decreases their chances of long-term success in the markets.

As the saying goes, success happens when preparation meets opportunity. You know there are opportunities to make money in the markets, but are you prepared enough to consistently take advantage of them without letting emotion get in your way? Being an organized and disciplined trader gives you this ability.

Fix your trading psychology

traderpsychI talk a lot about trader psychology in my articles, it’s true that some people are naturally more inclined to be disciplined and patient than others, and these people have an easier time making money in the markets than others. But, this doesn’t mean YOU can’t learn to become disciplined and organized. You do not need to continue ‘running and gunning’, instead you can decide now to start developing the positive trading habits that allow you to obtain and maintain the proper trading mindset to trade Forex like a sniper and not a machine gunner.

Mindset is a result of habits, if you have negative habits you will have a negative mindset, this is true in almost every area of life and it’s true in trading too. If you are not organized and disciplined and you are an over-trader and over-leverager, you have negative trading habits that are creating a negative trading psychology in your mind. Instead of being a preemptive trader you are reinforcing habits that make you an emotionally reactive trader; essentially when you trade with negative trading habits you allow your emotion to direct your trading instead of your logic and objectivity.

If you need help with your trading strategy or trading psychology, seek it.

Finally, if you feel like you need professional help with your trading strategy and trading psychology in order to get the New Year started on the right track, do not hesitate to seek it. I offer the best price action trading education in the business, and by joining my trading community you will receive help and training in other critical areas to, like trading psychology and Forex money management. I don’t claim to have the key to instant-success in the markets, but I do provide honest and effective trading education, and if this is something that you feel will help you achieve a greater level of success in the markets for 2012, then check out my Forex trading course and price action traders’ community here.

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Nial Fuller

About Nial Fuller

is a Professional Trader, Investor & Author who is considered ‘The Authority’ on Price Action Trading. His blog is read by over 200,000+ followers and he has taught 25,000+ students since 2008. In 2016, Nial won the Million Dollar Trader Competition. Checkout Nial's Professional Trading Course here.
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  1. rikus

    Hi Nial,

    I have improved a lot in my trading due to yr brilliant
    articles. tq Nial! may god bless u always n forever.

    Happy New Year!

    Rikus

    Reply
  2. Baz

    Hi Nial

    Been a member for 3 months now. I’m on your site every day on the members live comments and I also really enjoy your lessons – keep them coming! Best wishes for the new year.

    Baz.

    Reply
  3. Jiri M

    I wish you happy New Year 2012

    Reply
  4. yogarajah

    Nial
    Another brilliant article and sound tips for the forthcoming year. A very merry X’mas and a happy new year to you and your family.
    Best Regards

    Reply
  5. Abbey

    Thanks nial. compliment of the season to you. Do have an exciting 2012.

    Reply
  6. Jose

    Nice article Nial. Have a great Xmas & NY’s break. Looking forward to 2012!

    Reply
  7. azhar

    its nothing just little simple of nial master of trade and realy true professor of simple price action method,welldone and that not kool because i already said that Nial have more knowladge then we imagine.

    Reply
  8. Jay

    This will be the best investment you could ever make. There is nothing that comes close to it for value for money, its the best you can get. Nial gives on going support which is also a very big bonus to boot. He cares and Works hard to give to traders constantly. Thank you Nial.

    Reply
  9. Eric Chun

    Hi Nial
    Thank you for directing me into being a more profitable trader.
    Have a happy Xmas and NY

    Eric

    Reply
  10. Manjula

    Nice and well directive (errors filtered journey) article for a formal start in the New Year. I found this site when I googled ‘price actions’ in last January and became a member in April. So, I improved a lot in last year and now feel that I am almost fit for trading for living
    Thank you Nial

    Reply
  11. Elangovan

    Dear Sir,

    I would like to know more details about the forex trading… I will join after Jan 15th 2012.
    Wish you very happy prosperous new year… May all ur dreams come true in ur future…..

    Thank you,
    Regards,
    M.Elangovan.

    Reply
  12. Galen

    Thank you Nial for the articles of the year past. Looking forward with you in 2012. Happy New Years to you and family members and to all members of Price Action.

    Reply
  13. Fang

    Thanks Nial,have a happy new year!

    Reply
  14. sez elabor

    Happy Christmas Nial..you have really contributed to my trading immensely with price action strategies.. i am a big fan and look forward to your lessons every day..i recommend you to every aspiring trader..please keep up the good work. you are no doubt a saviour and expert in fx trading

    Reply
  15. Marcelo

    Thanks Nial, excelent as always…

    Happy new year and happy trading.

    Reply
  16. Wmwanikis

    Thanks Nial, ur articles have been insightful n exceptionally educative… merry x-mas n prosperous 2012.

    Reply
  17. Vilem

    Thank you for all your efford and amazing articles, that you have posted and sent us this year. I am looking forward to sighn up for your course. Wish you happy new year 2012 full of wounderfull events.
    William , Prague, The Czech Republic, EU

    Reply
  18. Ramli

    Thanks Nial,

    Happy Holiday
    Enjoy life and enjoy happiness….

    Cheers

    Reply
  19. jatinder

    Merry Christmas Nail, nice guide lines to start in 2012…

    thanks

    jeet

    Reply
  20. caroline lawton

    Merry Xmas Nial and thanks for all your articles over the last 12 months.

    Reply
  21. Nitka

    Hi Nial and all the would be future successful traders on this forum…:-) thanks to Nial’s constant generous free advice on his website we may start to improve our skills and techniques in trading straigh away. Thank you for this publication Nial to get us on the right track right from the beginning of the New coming Year. Here is wishing to us all, 2012 will be a great year for us all thanks to relentless mentoring Nial is providing. Let’s go guys and let’s clean up some of those profits just begging to be clean up out there…:-) good luck to all. Cheers!

    Reply
  22. Rajasekharan Nair

    Dear Sir,
    I have watched your vedios and and I liked your tutoirials.
    I would like to subscirbe your forex course in 2012 january as I am leaving for 20 days leave/vacation.

    I would be back end of Jan 2012 and would be ready to learn your forex course.

    many thanks

    Rajasekharan nair

    Reply
  23. PERI

    Dear Nial,

    WISH YOU & YOUR TEAM A VERY HAPPY & MERRY CHRISTMAS !

    With your Forex Education, I am know in the right
    direction to make consistent profits leaving the
    emotions aside. I am really thankful to you SIR.

    GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

    Reply
  24. Bandi

    Thank you for all of your nice work in this year, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a succesfull treading year. Your lessons
    helped me a lot to be in the positive this year and I am looking forward an even better 2012. Greetings from Hungary

    Reply
  25. henry

    i want to say thank you for your great support. I wish you a happy holiday season! Merry xtmas!

    Reply
  26. David

    Niall,

    Thank you for all your useful lessons. I intend to “solidify my understanding” by signing up to your course and look forward to a great trading year.

    Reply
  27. Richy

    Nial, What a wonderful end of the year lesson full of priceless “suggestions”…the kind like pull the cord on the parachute…Ha! In case you didn’t see my post in the ‘misc’ thread, all the best to you and Larry and the forum now and in 2012…r

    Reply
  28. Imomon Raymond

    Thanks. Your tips have exposed me to a lot of knowledge but I need to be disciplined and focused. I WILL DO WHAT YOU ADVISE FOR THE YEAR 2012. THANKS

    Reply
  29. David Amos

    Thanks Nial, just what I needed to read in the break and have a better approach for the new year ahead.

    Reply
  30. Davidr

    The salient points for success are there. If you don’t keep records you will miss learning from the mistakes we all make

    Reply
  31. Kingsley

    Hi Nial,

    Your teachings have made the difference for me. From September, till date l have been making consistent profits from the markets.

    Please, if you are a free member, kindly. upgrade to the paid membership. There are lots of information to digest.

    My day job is seriously in trouble because what l earn per annum from my job is what l make per month from the forex market.

    2012 is a year of success and promotion in the markets. I advise all to keep to the basics then the profits would come.

    thanks and God bless.

    Reply
  32. Keith(from england)

    Hey Nial, another great insight into how to become a successful trader and a nice kick up the a#*e for me to make 2012 great.
    Have a great Christmas and New Year.

    Reply
  33. Anton

    Thanks for another brilliant article Nial, I wish you Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

    Reply
  34. Mauricio Salazar

    Thanks a lot Nial for this article

    FELIZ NAVIDAD Y FELIZ AÑO NUEVO

    Reply
  35. RamaR

    Great Nial,

    Merry Christmas

    and Happy New Year

    Reply
  36. T Allen

    Thanks for the great article Nial and Merry Christmas !!

    Reply
  37. Mohammad Kavoshnia

    Hi Nial,

    Merry Christmas,Happy New Year.
    This article is truly excellent,
    so i’ll try to obey all the tips
    of it during 2012.Thanks

    Warmesr regards

    Reply
  38. Martin

    Another brilliant article, thanks so much Nial. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – let’s move into 2012 positive and disciplined :-)

    Reply
  39. Alan

    Happy Christmas Nial and a happy new year, looking forward to more of your insight in 2012, keep up the good work

    Reply