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Nial Fuller

NIAL FULLER Nial Fuller
Professional Trader, Author & Coach

The Power Of Consistency In Professional Trading

A fighter pilot has a highly skilled job that to most of us seems very sophisticated, and rightly so. However, to the man or woman flying the plane, it’s nothing more than a routine that they have executed hundreds, probably thousands of times. This also applies to surgeons or any other highly-skilled job that seems extremely difficult, if not impossible to the rest of us. This leads me to my next point; to the outside observer, a professional trader might seem like a very highly-skilled individual who does something that they (outside observer) would have no clue how to do. What do all three of these people have in common?

The answer: Consistency.

Most of you know that is Arnold Schwarzenegger in the picture to the right, Arnold personifies the fact that consistency pays off physically, mentally and financially.

You’ve probably read about habits and how they are the “key” to success in trading and virtually everything else in life. However, I’m willing to bet you’ve found less information on HOW to go about obtaining these all-powerful habits. In today’s lesson, I’m going to give you a brief overview of the power of effective trading habits and then get into EXACTLY HOW TO OBTAIN THEM so that you can get on the track to profitable trading NOW.

Growing a trading account is like growing muscle

Consistently going to the gym, and that means going even when you really don’t feel like going, will result in you being in better physical and mental shape. Consistently eating healthy foods will also result in you becoming a healthier person, both physically and mentally. For someone who is out of shape and has poor exercise and eating habits, it might be very difficult and uncomfortable for them to start consistently eating right and exercising…because they already have the very negative habit of being lazy and eating unhealthy junk food. However, for the healthy person, they actually ENJOY exercising and eating right because they have done it so consistently over a period of time that it has become a habitual part of their daily life and indeed even a part of who they are.

Similarly, if you consistently wake up early for your job or for school, you know that soon it becomes a habit. Conversely, if you consistently stay up late at night, you know that also becomes a habit eventually, and one that makes waking up early the next day extremely difficult. Generally speaking, going to bed early and waking up early makes you more productive, so clearly we can use the power of consistency to our advantage to develop the powerful habit of getting enough sleep and having more productive days, all by going to bed at a consistent time each night.

Consistently learning and education yourself turns you into a more knowledgeable person who will probably make more money and be more successful than the person who chooses not to consistently educate themselves.

My point is simply this: Consistency in all aspects of our personal and professional lives ultimately ends up building habits, and habits are really what define each of us, aren’t they? To paraphrase one of my favorite all-time motivational speakers Napoleon Hill, “We are what we think about and do”. Whatever you consistently think about and do will become a habit, you have the power to decide if you form positive or negative habits by what you consistently think about and do. If you consistently smoke cigarettes you’re probably going to develop a smoking habit, which is obviously a very bad habit to develop. If you consistently manage your risk correctly in the market and stick to your trading strategy and do not over-trade, you are going to develop some very positive and powerful trading habits that are going to result in you becoming a successful trader.

ANYTHING is possible through THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY.

Consistency builds habit

how to trade consistentlyAs author and business strategist Eric V. Holtzclaw said in his article titled Power of Consistency: 5 Rules:

“Until you have tried something new for a period of time and in a consistent manner, you can’t decide if it works or not. How do you measure effectiveness if what you are measuring isn’t performed consistently? I typically give new initiatives, processes, and organizational structures at least six months before judging them a success or failure. It’s often minor tweaking instead of major overhauls that make the difference.”

• Consistency in sticking to an effective trading method like price action, helps you master your trading strategy and gives you a real chance to see if your trading strategy is truly worth using or not. Switching between methods or trading when your edge is not truly present hurts your trading results over the long-run. How do you know if a trading strategy works if you don’t stick to it and give it enough time to play out? Give it at least six months of CONSISTENCY as Eric Holtzclaw said in the Inc. com article I referenced above. If you cannot muster the discipline and mental fortitude to follow a proven strategy like price action for at least 6 months consistently, you will have a hard time finding any success in the market.

• Consistency in risk management is key….keeping your dollar risk per trade consistent, is something that allows you to both keep your losses under control as well as your emotions. Traders who vary their risk a lot from trade to trade inevitably end up on an emotional roller coaster of trading that typically results in them giving back all their trading profits and blowing out their accounts. Keeping your risk consistent after a big winner or big loser is key and might be thee single most important difference between amateur and pro traders.

• Consistently tracking your trades and keeping a trading journal is something that you definitely need to do to develop effective trading habits. In last week’s article, Find Your Forex Trading Mojo, I discussed the story of an LTTTM member who was having a difficult time keeping his trading profits after building up his account a decent amount. I helped get him back on track by stressing the importance of journaling his trades and tracking every winner, loser and breakeven trade. This doesn’t take a long time, but it is a little “tedious” and is perhaps the most “work-like” thing you’ll have to do as a trader. Unfortunately, many traders don’t keep a track record of their trades and it results in them getting off track and losing their discipline and never developing the trading habits they need to succeed in the markets.

To quote Eric V. Holtzclaw again from the article Power of Consistency: 5 Rules:

“Business growth requires a track record of success. You can’t establish a track record if you are constantly shifting gears or trying new tactics. Many efforts fail before they get to the finish line, but not because the tactic was flawed or goals weren’t clear. The problem is often that the team simply didn’t stay the course to achieve the objective.”

Consistency is the catalyst of trading success

consistency is key to successA fighter pilot started out learning how to fly probably in a classroom, then moved to a computer simulator of some sort and finally, after probably years of training and education, began practicing his or her craft by flying in a real fighter jet.

Similarly, surgeons begin mastering their craft by first obtaining education / training and then they might practice on cadavers in the lab or shadow a mentor in a real lab setting, and then finally after years of practice they are ready to operate on a patient by themselves.

A professional trader will take a similar course (or at least they should); training and education, practice (demo trading) and then once they are ready, which will be a different amount of time for everyone but usually takes a period of years, they will begin making a living as a trader.

The “fuel” or the “catalyst” that allows all three of the above individuals to excel in each of these three very different careers, is consistency. Without consistency there is no success in trading, flying fighter jets, becoming a surgeon, or anything else in life. Indeed, even if you are working at Mcdonald’s (not belittling anyone who does work there), you are going to get fired if you do not show up to work consistently on time.

The ‘formula’ for trading success

Finally, I will end today’s lesson with a very simple formula for you:

Consistency = Habit = Results

If you consistently trade according to your strategy (don’t over-trade), consistently manage your risk properly and consistently maintain your composure after every trade, winner or loser, you will give yourself the best possible chance of making consistent money in the market. However, if you choose to behave erratically by straying from your strategy (over-trading), risking too much and generally gambling your money in the market, you will develop account-destroying trading habits. Most traders lose money as a result of having very inconsistent trading routines and never following through with their trading strategy or risk management plan.

The good news is that YOU have the power to control what you do and what you focus on. You have the power to decide if you want to keep behaving inconsistently in the market, or you can decide to try and harness the power of consistency and use it to develop profitable trading habits. Consistently trading an effective trading method with discipline, like the price action method I teach in my forex trading course, will eventually turn into proper trading habits which will then turn into making money consistently in the markets. There are no “short-cuts”…this IS how it’s done.


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. MUNGE GATHURI

    Consistency in money management,position sizes and trading strategy leads to success in this game which is a mental game.Thank you for your valuable nutrient in trading.

    Reply
  2. Zinnur

    Thanks for article

    Reply
  3. Благодарность

    Thanks Mr. Nial! super article!

    Reply
  4. Ages

    Thanks Mentor Nial. God bless u loads.

    Reply
  5. Alex

    Hello, Nial.
    Super article Nial, you’re a genius. I’m really enjoying being part of this trading site. With each of your article, I’m a successful professional trader.
    Thank you very much.

    Reply
  6. cscheat

    NIAL FOR PRESIDENT 2016 !!!!!!!

    Reply
  7. peri

    Inspirational article !

    Reply
  8. Bill

    Greeeat articles again, keepin me focused and enthusiastic about learning Forex.
    Thanks Nial.

    Reply
  9. Pantelis Roussos

    Wow, this article is so inspired. You keep it so simple and clear so we can avoid to learn from wrong decisions.All my appreciation for the help providing so we can save valuable time and money..Respect.

    Reply
  10. Zaw

    Amazing and insightful article as always.
    Thank you Nial!

    Reply
  11. Rutendo Mawoyo

    I have written notes to always remind myself. Thanks Nial

    Reply
  12. Jan

    Touché! Words that you can hang on your wall. Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Luca

    Great :-)

    Reply
  14. Eugene Rivera

    Nial I congratulate you for all the articles that I have read so far. You are definitely an inspiration, I started early to trade but did not have a discipline, consistency or patience. People like me get so desperate to make money off the FX market but lose miserably when the trade fails. The Forex market could be your worst enemy or your best friend, we decide that. Thanks again for your blog which I consider is a gift from heaven to all of us who wish to be future consistent and disciplined traders one day.

    Reply
  15. martin

    Dear Nial,
    Thanks a lot for this wonderful article. Its an eye-opener. i now know what to do, to make it in this business. thanks once again.

    Reply
  16. Tshepo

    Simple and straight to the point, consistency = habit = result.

    Thank you, Nial

    Reply
  17. Sadik

    You are absolutely right,,, even that it is difficult to have a healthy habits,, but it is still the most important thing to do.
    Thanx Nial.

    Reply
  18. Ajawara

    His course says it all. Try it you will see the difference.

    Reply
  19. leonz

    thank you coach

    Reply
  20. Lindsay

    Great Article!
    Gambling in the markets gets us nowhere in the long term. Consistency in following a proven successful trading plan is definitely the goal to seek.

    Reply
  21. JIMAM

    NIAL, I REALLY DON’T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE YOUR MENTORING. THOUGH I’M NOT ONE OF YOUR REGISTERED STUDENTS, BUT THESE FREE FEEDS HAVE REALLY GOT ME TRACT. THANKS A MILLION TIMES FOR THESE EYE-OPENERS… KEEP THEM FLOWING, THE LORD WILL SURELY BLESS YOU FOR SUCH FREE WILL DONATION.

    Reply
  22. Chaminda

    Hi Nial,
    I am new to the market…. trying hard to stick into the my trading plan,risk management and controlling my emortions to see future success… so Great lesson again.
    Thanks and Good Luck!

    Reply
  23. James Duggan

    Is it vital to always use stop loss no matter what,even if the trade is going in your favour and theres no time to use stop loss

    Reply
  24. Bala

    The best ever advice and guidance. Thanx Nial.You r the man.

    Reply
  25. Paul

    Spot on brother your the real thing ,very refreshing thanks

    Reply
  26. ed

    very good, LIKE!

    Reply
  27. Hastings

    Very true & profound. Good work Nail.

    Reply
  28. yusuf hammed

    very intelligent lesson, thanks you

    Reply
  29. kenneth

    Well said, “Repetition and consistency is the law of learning. Thanks Nial for that great lesson

    Reply
  30. lyte

    Thanks Nial. My practice to yoga is 18 years next month. 5 years prior to my practice was just the idea of wanting to do it. Today it is the pinnacle of all that I do bringing the mind the body the breath here now into moment. Thanks to your consistency with mentoring and helping me trade the markets.

    Reply
  31. Gustav

    Very well sir, well said and thank you once again for your kindness in sharing all this invaluable lessons.

    Reply
  32. Kingsley

    Your methdology rocks.

    Reply
  33. kiptanui

    …and the constancy of consistently churning out unmatched, insightful and priceless forex education for your ardent fanatics like me is what drives me to shout “Thank you a thousand times Nial”
    I keep on referring every fx trader I get to acquainted to to your site, coz your the real fx guru and your teachings if austerely adhered to, never fails anyone.
    Rgds from Kenya

    Reply
  34. Martin Caflisch

    Fine article,only the part of”getting up early,being more productive i dont agree cos there are people who are not tired in the evening and there are productive later at the day.
    studies showed these results.
    Me for example i would like to go to sleep earlier but i just am not tired til 10 or 11 pm.And in fact,sleeping from 9 to 5 or from 11 to 7 are always 8 hours.
    to be more productive in the morning is a fairytale that those who get up early always tell others but its not true.
    Thank you for your work Nial,theres always something to learn in your newsletters.
    i appreciate them

    Reply
    • Altaf

      good! but those are the times you got to be awake to make forex money.

      Reply
  35. Prince

    Thanks Nial for the reminder…

    Reply
  36. Ramli M.S

    Thanks

    Great

    Cheers

    Reply
  37. azBronco

    This is a great article. I recently went on vacation and took my laptop with me to trade. That turned out to be the wrong thing to do. As a new trader this shattered my consistency and my practice account suffered for it.

    Reply
  38. victor

    Hi Nail Fuller i love this article!!!! it has helped me cultivate my trading system and confidence!!! and to me you are also a motivational forex market speaker mostly for up coming traders thanks!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  39. Geetha

    Very good lesson,Sir.
    Thank u

    Reply
  40. sdamos

    Good article, thanks.

    Reply
  41. erastus

    amazing stuff.i am impressed.

    Reply
  42. Felix

    Thank you Nial,
    Excelent article, Consistency goes so well with patience.

    Reply
  43. Wajdi

    Yess!!! right on point. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing

    Reply
  44. Cyrus

    Sure!

    Reply
  45. X

    Thanks !

    Reply
  46. RAJESH PARMAR

    NICE RECOMMENDATION SIR

    Reply
  47. Pantelis Roussos

    Since I was trading for almost 7 years now, key element for success comes out from consistency develops your habits. The journey is difficult and tough, sometimes want give up but that’s the way to success, worth it 1000%, if you love what you do.You have to revise the market from different perspectives until you find the right path.Thanks to Nial I can feel very confident about the future and have to go through the path until the result.Big thanks to you for sharing all that details with us..Keep it on!!

    Reply
  48. George

    These articles from Nial always inspires me and believe others get inspired too. As a trader, i have benefited a lot psychologically from these great articles from this excellent teacher who makes things that that look extremely difficult really easy to understand.
    Thanks Nial. God bless you.

    Reply
  49. Adriana

    Hi Nial ,

    This article is fantastic ..as all your articles indeed !
    I loved read it ..which is next ?

    Reply
  50. Elias

    Nial,i think for me ,this is the most profound article you’ve ever written.Spot On!!! I can attest that if a trader doesn’t get consistency right they will never get to the point of trading success. I have been struggling with consistency and this article is just heaven sent. It’s given me the answers i needed & the insight to know what to do next. Thank you Nial.

    Reply
  51. Sow Behl

    I whole heartedly agree with Nial Fuller’s post.

    As a trader myself I realised a huge lack of consistency in my own trading. So I made a purpose built platform to specifically improving trading consistency regardless of trading style.

    I’m still developing the site but in case your interested – tradingconsistently.com

    Reply