Many of us aim to become consistently profitable traders, but it’s no secret that staying consistent is one of the biggest challenges in trading. Many traders struggle with this, even after months or years of experience.
Is it something to do with mindset, strategies, habits, or something else?
Not “mindset”!! I don’t think it’s really “psychological” at all, and Mark Douglas actually did at least tens of thousands of people a huge disservice by implying that it so often is.
I think the main reason’s a combination of lack of statistical understanding and lack of awareness that statistical understanding is absolutely essential, to achieve anything approaching STEADY profitability (such emphasis on the word “steady”, since we‘re talking being consistent, here!).
The bottom line, IMO, is that most people trying don’t actually have a clear understanding of how to tell with an adequately high degree of confidence whether or not what they’re doing has a real edge. And without that, they have very little chance and are basically guessing (though they often don’t quite realise that).
Trading’s not “rocket surgery,” admittedly, but it’s counterintuitive enough for guessing to have very-little-to-no value at all.
For me, Mark Douglass’s book Trader Discipline helped me a lot. It may have kept me from endlessly searching for new strategies. Who knows?
What keeps us from consistent profitability is personal. It’s different for each person. But, of course it’s a mental game because trading is mental. It’s not a physical activity.
But our challenges will be different. For some it will be greed. Others, fear.
But, fear of what? This is where it becomes personal. Fear of failure? Fear of loss? Fear of winning? Self-doubt?
And there’s no one way to cope with these feelings. Some need Goggins, and some need Oprah. And some don’t need anyone—just some time alone.
So, I say it has a lot to do with knowing yourself and your emotions.
Hi Ms. @Penelopip,
Finally we meet again. 
About main reason traders have to struggle ot stay consistent should be two things: market understanding and trading plan, can’t miss one of them. They are a couple, without one of them, the life is incomplete … 
Understand the market, a trader can do acrobatic over the market.
After understand the market, the trader will have ability to develop a good trading plan.
Having good understanding, trader will know exactly how, when to enter the market. Trader will be able to hit the market with high accuracy. Having high quality trades, will lead to an excellent trading plan, finally a good profit will follow in the end.
Many traders still have inadequate trading method, the boundaries of concept is still unclear, as most us think of strategy more instead of learning the market. As the result, they have no confidence and trading while the greed and fear is performing tango, let the anxiety burst either profit or loss.
When a trader understand the market, they will have clarity and trade with confidence.
Just like how confidence I give you this flower, Ms. @Penelopip 
The replies here have been very interesting! 
Mine would be from a more personal perspective, sort of an observation on myself. 
I would say it’s really a mixture of all of those things, but for me, it begins with habits.
Being consistent profitably won’t be possible if you’re not trading consistently. So, finding the time to trade, especially if you’re doing it on the side is something that must take priority. 
It’s something that I’m also trying to work on! This also includes the habit of actually following a routine to monitor and analyze your charts.
Thanks. It’s doubtless good for me to see that, and to be reminded that there are also plenty of people who disagree with my opinion of Mr. Douglas (and I’m glad he helped you, also!).
I appreciate your point.
Improving trader psychology isn’t a fix-all.
I read the book years ago, and I still had lots of hurdles to get over. So, it’s a helpful book, but people shouldn’t think that it will fix everything.
Most trading strategies are not intended for the long haul; some may call this an edge in the market. This edge endures for approximately 1 to 7 years, after which the system becomes ineffective as the market conditions.has change, Some edge do persist for a lifetime with proper adjustments, but that is a minor percentage. This is merely my perspective.
While I cannot speak for others, based on my personal experience and opinion, chasing losses seems to be the start of the slippery slope into a downward spiral of a never ending capital burn.
We seem unable to accept that we could be wrong at times, constantly finding the need to prove ourselves right. This mindset can work in social and work situations, however, in trading, the market is always right.
If we can start accepting that fact, we can start treating losses as merely tuition fees for this journey as a trader, we will then start finding ourselves in a much better situation of capital preservation and hone our risk management discipline to that of a consistently profitable trader.
With that being said, all the best with your trading journey in 2025! 
SIA
please can share the book of Mark Douglas with me, thank you
You are right my good Friend, trading is like going for school you have to keep learning all time , because the market is dynamic.
I think the main reason is the fact that people are focused on the results, not on the process.
Click 
When it concerns forex, individuals perceive it as a easy way to get rich quick, failing to comprehend that there is a process, similar to every other business, that must be adhered to; otherwise, one can quickly find themselves going bankrupt.
I’m certain you can find it yourself.
Be proactive in your endeavor.
Being consistently profitable is a combination of several factors. In much the same way as several parts are assembled to manufacture a car, several factors must align to make a profitable trader out of anyone.
Building one’s trading skill is super important. Here, many spend bundles of years or months to develop the skills that enable them befriend profitability. For many, this is the grave of their forex trading journey.
Psychology. As soon as a newbie or some fairly new trader is greeted with a string of losses their confidence suffer knockout. To revive their confidence, they go strategy shopping for a shiny new one with a loss-proof guarantee.
Learning from mistakes. It is one thing to acquire the skills to make pips, the skill to keep the pips is quite another one. One of the ways to develop this skill is to learn from one’s mistakes. A consistently profitable trader is one who has made hundreds of mistakes in their trading journey but has learnt from every one of them.
Pay the price to be consistently profitable. Being consistently profitable is a matter of decision, not calling. It is within the reach of anyone who aspires it as long as the person is willing to pay the price of hard work, study, research and practice.
Any trader can make the leap from any level they are to becoming consistently profitable. It is a matter of decision.
For me “DISCIPLINE” sums it all. Discipline to follow your trading plan, discipline to stick to your risk management plan, discipline to never revenge trade, discipline to keep your emotion on check etc…DISCILINE
You might have the most profitable trading system ever, but it won’t help you if you are not disciplined enough to follow it.
Pure gold.
Commissions Fees and Spreads !
Many years ago I took a year off work to trade the Dow - Despite winning more bets than I lost - Account went down. Yes I did become profitable after realising why - but not profitable enough to be “better than working”.
When we “record our trades” we only tend to record the actual buy and sell prices we trade at.
instead of this record the buy and sell prices at the buying time and also at the selling time, then work out how much you are paying in spreads or commissions at each transaction - you’ll find you are paying a huge amount of money for the privilage of “playing the game” - then adjust your trading activities accordingly 
You could do worse than study this thread which I posted a while ago !