Markets are unpredictable—but your mind doesn’t have to be. Jared Tendler reveals that most trading struggles aren't about strategy or market knowledge—they stem from unresolved emotional and psychological patterns. Whether it's greed causing overtrading, fear paralyzing decision-making, or overconfidence leading to recklessness, The Mental Game of Trading offers a system to recognize and correct these mental leaks. The goal? To make your psychology as strong and reliable as your trading system.
🔑 25 Key Concepts from The Mental Game of Trading
1. Your Emotions Are Signals, Not Enemies
Instead of fighting your emotions, learn to understand what they’re trying to tell you about deeper patterns.
2. Mental Leaks Sabotage Performance
Emotional overreactions (fear, greed, tilt) are called “mental leaks”—they drain your edge and must be fixed.
3. Trading Doesn’t Create Your Issues—It Exposes Them
The market is a mirror. If you struggle with discipline or self-worth, trading will magnify those issues.
4. Tilt Isn’t Just for Poker
In trading, “tilt” refers to emotionally driven decisions that lead to losing control and abandoning your plan.
5. Map Your Problems
Start by identifying your recurring issues—what triggers them, how they feel, and how they affect performance.
6. Greed and Overconfidence Come from Unresolved Needs
These usually stem from underlying issues like needing to win, proving self-worth, or unrealistic expectations.
7. Fear Often Masks Deeper Issues
Fear of loss or missing out may be rooted in a fear of failure, perfectionism, or low confidence.
8. Awareness is the First Step to Control
You can’t fix what you can’t see. Track your emotional state and reactions before, during, and after trades.
9. Inject Logic to Break Emotional Patterns
Use a pre-prepared statement of logic (called “injecting logic”) when triggered emotionally to stay grounded.
10. Focus on Process, Not Outcomes
Detach your identity from wins and losses. Measure success by following your process, not just P&L.
11. Discipline is a Skill, Not a Trait
Discipline isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you train and strengthen like a muscle.
12. Mistakes Are Learning Tools
Every error is feedback. Log your mistakes and analyze them with curiosity—not shame.
13. Confidence Must Be Stable, Not Fragile
True confidence is based on facts, preparation, and past effort—not ego or recent wins.
14. Build Your A-Game System
Define your “A-game” (best performance state), track when you’re in it, and learn how to return to it.
15. Create Mental Maps of Common Triggers
Document the triggers, thoughts, emotions, and outcomes for fear, greed, tilt, etc. This builds pattern awareness.
16. Mistakes Repeat Because of Incomplete Learning
Repeating mistakes means you haven’t truly addressed the root psychological cause yet.
17. The Correction Process Has Three Phases
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Recognize the emotion
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Inject logic in the moment
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Resolve the deeper cause over time
18. Your Mind Has a Learning System, Too
Just like you train your body or a skill, the mind can be rewired with repetition, awareness, and structured feedback.
19. Journaling Is a Weapon
Use a detailed trading journal to track thoughts, emotions, and decision quality—not just trades.
20. Emotional Release ≠ Emotional Control
Don’t just vent or suppress emotions. Decode them. Learn from them. That’s control.
21. Set Mental Goals Alongside Financial Goals
Track improvements like “I followed my stop loss 100% today” or “I stayed calm after a losing streak.”
22. Avoid Outcome Attachment
Obsession with profit leads to emotional swings. Treat trading like a long-term performance craft.
23. Rewire Identity Around Effort and Growth
Your value is not tied to your wins or losses. You are a student of the market, not a slave to results.
24. You Don’t Need to Be Emotionless—Just Self-Aware
Peak traders still feel emotions—they’ve just trained themselves not to act on them impulsively.
25. Mental Mastery is a Competitive Edge
With technical edges shrinking, psychological resilience is one of the last great differentiators in trading.
💡 Final Thought: The Market Doesn’t Beat You—Your Mind Does
The Mental Game of Trading isn’t about finding the perfect setup. It’s about building the mental systems to execute consistently, adapt under pressure, and evolve over time. Whether you're a beginner or experienced trader, mastering your inner game is what separates short-term activity from long-term profitability.
📘 Want to stay calm, disciplined, and confident under pressure? Read the full book The Mental Game of Trading and unlock the psychology behind consistent trading success.
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