Reprogram your mind

This will be a different thread than all the others...
Hi.
First, I want to say I'm using a translator, so I apologize for any errors.
I'am Tomasz, I've been trading Forex for several years. I've been through everything – I've lost my entire deposit several times, there have been situations where I accumulated a large profit in a week, only to lose it all in a day or two. I know the feeling of exploding euphoria after a win and I've also experienced depressive states after losses. I know all these.
I started like everyone else – I saw a Forex topic somewhere – I watched Forex "miracle" traders on YouTube – you know - ICT, Steve Mauro, Captain Jack, Hanzo Shadowcodes, S&D, Fibonacci all sorts of indicators, etc., etc., etc. blah, blah, I could go on forever. Those who "sleep" on Forex money but still „teach”, haha. Over the past few years, I've probably browsed every online forum searching for magic method that will make me rich (hahaha). But the same thought was still in my head - Forex has potential, this is what I want to do.
Despite reading all these threads, strategies, studying technical and fundamental analysis, candlestick patterns, and listening to forex gurus, I was still stuck. My game was constantly in the red. I asked myself – how is it possible that all these people are achieving success and I'm still struggling? Am I lacking intelligence, maybe I'm not learning enough? Despite my efforts, nothing happened. I was going in circles. Do you know this feeling? Have you been through this too? I wondered how it was possible that there were over 3,300 strategies started on Forex Factory and yet it was difficult to find a thread where people were actually making consistent money.
I took a break, a half-year break – I gave up. One day, out of boredom, I was browsing YouTube and a video with a nondescript guy called Mark Douglas popped up. I watched one of his videos, then another, and another – I couldn't stop. There was a great interview with him on the Mind Over Market program, also available on YouTube. What I saw then was like a long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel, an epiphany, a missing puzzle piece. This puzzle was called Trader Psychology. I bought and read his book – Trader in the Zone (by the way, the title A must-read – if you're going to buy one book about Forex, let it be this one.) Everything I've read, listened to, and watched so far has turned out to be worthless. I realized that Internet gurus are selling us crap; they don't make money from their game, but from losers like you and me who subscribe to their channels, buy worthless courses, etc. They were never interested in finding the answer, but in pretending to look for it.
Because Forex isn't about strategy, the malice of the market, MM, fate, or anything else. Our greatest enemy, the one we must tame, is ourselves. Our minds, our mentality, our psyche, etc. This is the TRUE solution we are looking for.
I started digging deeper into the topic – I was surprised how few people talked about the trader's psyche. Everyone was just looking for a system, a strategy, a Holy Grail that would turn everything they touched into gold. They were searching for answers on how to crack the Forex code, but it turns out the solution was right in front of us all along – all we had to do was look in the mirror.
So what's this all about?
In short, it's about reprogramming our minds. If you're thinking, „WTF? What is this guy talking about – what kind of minds, what kind of reprogramming, is he some kind of lunatic, etc.? Fuck it, I wasted 10 minutes of my life reading this crap”... Okay, I respect everyone, they'll follow their own path, but I'm sure you'll come back sooner or later. You'll come back because you'll read 3,300 strategy threads on Forex Factory, then watch hundreds of YouTube videos, read millions of posts on Pinterest and other forums, and you'll realize, like I once did, that you're going in circles and nothing has brought you closer to your goal – achieving success in Forex. Some people simply need to gain experience this way, others simply need to learn from their mistakes to understand – if you need that, go ahead. Just remember this thread – save it, and come back later…
I've written a lot in one sitting; if I have a moment, I'll write something later. For those interested and eager to change their game, I invite you to check out Mark Douglas's videos available on YouTube, and Trading in the Zone is also worth reading. It won't be wasted time, I guarantee. What you'll hear there will be a good foundation for further understanding what I'll write here.
Remember - I can show you the map, but it's up to you to decide whether you want to devote your time, energy, and effort to it. Because you'll have to reprogram yourself, and that requires the three things mentioned above. Don't rush into an answer, sleep on it, think about it—when you know the answer, come back and read more of this thread.
Bye
Tomasz

So true buddy, I listen to Mark Douglas often (RIP) - the mental game is key.

PC

Unfortunately, today's world is very fast-paced, people are busy, and they need everything immediately, right now. They lack essential character traits, which the Forex market exploits ruthlessly, such as patience, consistency, and mental preparation. As lofty as it sounds, this is the essence that every conscious trader must possess. Everyone! Moreover, each of us is different, with different character traits, etc. Are you consistent, patient, and mentally strong? I wasn't. Admittedly, my ego was large, but that's not exactly a trait that needs to be cultivated in this case.
I wasn't ready yet. But more on that later...
Honestly, when I watched the first videos featuring Mark Douglas, I was blown away – seriously. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I almost felt victory and the solution to "this puzzle"... there was only one "but" – from just reading the book/watching a few YouTube videos to actually implementing these principles in my Forex game, there was still a long way to go. Because it's not like you learn something, snap your finger, and magically everything is understood and implemented. Oh no. This still needs to be worked through in your head. And there's a lot of work to be done.
An important exercise for today (contrary to appearances, very important – because people like to, for some reason, deceive themselves). And the truth, even brutally, is essential to the proper process of changing your character. Yes, because that's what it's all about. Changing your character, rejecting bad traits and replacing them with good ones.
Go to the mirror and talk to yourself. Tell yourself what your flaws are, what hinders your trading. But say it out loud, name these bad traits, articulate them. But be brutally honest with yourself. If you're a slacker – say it, if you're lazy – say it, etc. Stop fooling yourself, because to get dressed, you first have to "wash" and clean yourself. Be aware of yourself, and let your brain be aware of it too. Then you can begin to repair yourself. Oh, and buy/borrow/download the ebook Atomic Habits by James Clear. What's next? Read it.
To be continued.
Tomasz

You're absolutely right, Mark Douglas remains the King of trading psychology.
RIP Mark, my great, virtual mentor.

Mate- thank you for this. That was honest, raw, and exactly the kind of post people need to read more often.

What stood out

- Your arc- the losses, the euphoria, the broken search for a magic system- is painfully familiar and reassuringly normal.
- The turning point with Mark Douglas and Trader in the Zone is exactly the kind of shift most never get to because it’s uncomfortable and non-glamorous.
- The blunt callout of gurus selling hope instead of results is spot on and needed.

Short reply from someone who’s been there.....

I’ve burned accounts the same way-shiny systems, indicators, one good week followed by two bad months. For a long time I thought the problem was the strategy or that I just needed "one more indicator." What you described-the mental reset- is the real work. Strategy matters, but only after your mind stops sabotaging consistent edge and risk management.

Practical next steps for people who want to follow your map

- Read Trading in the Zone- take notes and re-read the chapters that make you uncomfortable.
- Start a simple rules-based plan: fixed risk per trade, clear entry/exit criteria, and a max daily loss. Keep it boring.
- Keep a trade journal focused on process and feelings rather than P/L. Write what you felt before, during, after each trade.
- Do small deliberate practice trades to test behaviour under real conditions rather than hunting for perfect setups.
- Treat psychology like a skill: daily review, small habits, and patience.

You’ve given people the most valuable thing: permission to stop chasing gurus and face the real problem- themselves. If you keep posting details about how you reprogram habits and what actually changes in your trading, a lot of people will follow and learn faster than they would from 3,300 strategy threads.

Thanks again for sharing this.

Have you ever wondered why one person has a Forex system and consistently makes money, while another using the same system is constantly losing money? What's the difference? Is one smarter than the other? If so, that would mean only lawyers, doctors, and other "geniuses" would achieve success, but not a mechanic, driver, or cleaner. But that's not true. The cross-section of people achieving success in Forex is huge, with people of varying IQ levels, from different parts of the world, and with different degrees. The problem lies elsewhere... it's the mental state of each trader. This separates the "wheat from the chaff." But the right mental state doesn't come with the tap of a finger or by saying to yourself, "From today on, I'll be mentally strong." For our brains, it's abstract. You might as well say to yourself, "From tomorrow, I'll be flying." Our brains need to be trained just like our muscles. For example, if you want to lift 100 kg, you obviously don't jump right in. You slowly work your muscles with lighter weights, allowing them to recover, then a new stimulus, a heavier weight, then more recovery, until x amount of time passes and suddenly you're lifting your desired 100 kg. It's the same with our minds. You have to become a true trader, and that requires time and hard work. It's not enough to read 3,300 forex methods and systems, it's not enough to read Mark Douglas's book, or watch a few hundred YouTube videos. You also have to organize it in your head, digest it, sleep on it, and implement it.
But how do you do this? For your brain, a message like "I want to be rich and succeed in Forex" is no different than a goal like "I want to be thin" or "I want to learn a foreign language." It's an ABSTRACTION FOR THE BRAIN. Any desire to do something new in your life requires, above all, an awareness of the desire for change (remember the mirror exercise? – becoming aware of your weaknesses, not to get down, but to treat it as feedback). Furthermore, to do this, you need to step outside your comfort zone, the area where you feel safe. But our brain is a cunning beast – it always tries to return to its previous comfort zone, habit, etc. Therefore, it needs to be reprogrammed. How? One word – HABIT. Remember the book "Atomic Habits"? Read it. This is where change and understanding the process of change begin. Change, just like training your muscles to lift 100 kg, isn't achieved in a day, a week, or two. You need to realize that it's a process. It's a process of changing yourself and your character. Every change must happen slowly and in small steps. That's why you don't set a goal like "I want to be slim" or "I want to lose 50 kg." That's abstraction for your brain (again). Instead, you "tell yourself": "I will move more by taking 10-minute walks every day." This is a process (movement/walk), not a goal (weight loss of 50 kg). Commit to the process, and when the process works, the goal will come to you. I want to learn Spanish... (abstraction). I will learn 5 Spanish words a day (process). You're thinking, wait, 5 words a day? That's pathetic, not enough...isn't it? After a year, that's 1,825 new words that stick in your head (5x365 = 1,825). Walks? 10x365 = 3,650 minutes of movement. And who's to say that over time, as your body adjusts, your brain will fall into a new rhythm? You won't increase your walks to, say, 20 minutes a day, or your vocabulary to 10 words a day (or more). The point is to start small, really small, even just one word a day. Make the change so you don't get discouraged, but so your brain gets used to the new stimulus. There will be time to increase the intensity later. The same with Forex. The goal here can't be "I want to be rich," but rather "I will be a better trader every day" (a process) – I will study the chart every day, keep a journal where I will record my good and bad moves. But from now on, don't treat mistakes as bad, but as feedback. What went wrong, why, what could I have done better, how to apply this knowledge to the future. But this change won't happen overnight. It's a process; you won't feel the difference for a long time, but if you work hard, you'll suddenly have that magical "aha!!" moment.
That's all for today.
Tomek

Oh, I guess this is a typical path of every trader. Changing a bunch of trading strategies, watching tons of Youtube videos, backtesting till your fingers become sore, buying all kinds of courses. All to reach the point that how you behave determines your odds of success in trading.
But you know it’s easy to say “just reprogram your mind”. This journey is super tough. You need to change your personality, how you treat losses, how to deal with these long losing streaks or times when nothing happens in the market, consolidation phases. I’m currently in the middle of this journey and know how difficult it is.
Anyway thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely check Mark Douglas, who seems to be a rare credible source of information. Meanwhile I can share what helped me to start reshaping my trading personality: videos of Fabervaale, a trader who won world trading championship or smth just like this. Interesting things he was talking about

So after studying Mark Douglas and watching Fabervaale, what specific change in your behavior made the biggest difference was it accepting losses faster, sticking to one system, or becoming more patient during consolidation?

Sorry, but I've never heard of a losing trader becoming profitable after fixing their trader psychology. I wasted years trying to fix my "trading psychology", when the real problem was my inability to recognize when the market was moving against me (cutting losses) and when it was in my favor(adding to winners and letting profits run). In other words, my problem as a struggling trader was a lack of trading skill not psychology.

Nearly every struggling trader believes the key to profitability is to increase their wins when in reality it's their losses that are too big. The turning point for me was when I stopped trying to find the perfect strategy and started focusing on managing my way out of losing positions.

Psychology is obviously very important in trading.
However it means NOTHING if you don't have the ability to read the market and have developed a clearly definable and consistent statistical edge.

In my experience, psychology isn't as important as many here believe. It can help profitable traders fine-tune and improve their results but it won't turn a losing trader into a winning one.

A trader that can read the market can be profitable with no strategy and no statistical edge, i.e. random coin flip entries.

Have you noticed this order flow stuff has become too popular in recent years. Like came out of nowhere. I watched this guy too and compared to others, he actually has a proven track record. Not like M. Douglas who hasn’t even provided any evidence. Man made money from selling his books, like typical YT gurus that sell their courses. In reality, experience aka grinding charts and developing your personality not just in trading but also in life. This is a secret souce. Ofc it’s just my opinion and I haven’t yet reached a level to prove my words. But this is how I see this.