This is the question that everyone wants answered. This is what trading is all about: becoming a consistent and professional trader. But what does it actually mean? And, how can you achieve this status? Let's dive into it.
What is a consistently profitable trader?
A consistently profitable Forex trader is someone who can consistently generate an income from trading the markets, by consistently trading his or her approach.
Consistent results can only come from a consistent process. Therefore, you need to focus on the process and the results will follow. One thing all consistently profitable traders have in common is they had a great mentor. A mentor has been through the struggle of becoming consistently profitable. A mentor can tell you what to focus on, what to adjust and how to grow as a trader.
Consistent results are often being portrayed as an X percent return per month. However, we at CDFX Trading look at quarters. You can have a few losing months in a row but still be a consistently profitable trader. You have to look at the long term.
So, quick tip: focus on the long term. It’s not about making money everyday or every week. It’s about making money each year that can provide you with an income to cover your expenses.
Many educators will tell you that you need to make money every week or every month, this is simply not the case. Many professional Forex traders make money, but maybe only for 8 months per year. The other four months they are down. This is completely normal. Depending on your strategy and trade frequency this period is longer or shorter.
Let’s give you an example:
Trader A has a strategy with a 60% winrate and a 1R payout on average. He takes 10 trades a month.
Trader B has a strategy with a 60% winrate and a 1R payout on average. He takes 50 trades a month.
Who do you think has a bigger chance of making money every month? Trader B of course.
The higher your frequency, the higher the chances that the odds of a 60% winrate will play out. Even with a 60% winrate it is completely possible to lose 8 trades in a row, this means you will be down on the month if you only trade 10 times per month. However, if you trade 50 times per month the odds are way higher that you will make money that month, because the increased frequency makes sure that you have more room each month for the law of large numbers to play out.
This basically means that the higher the frequency, the higher the chances that you hit that 60% winrate. You have to see it as this: let’s say you have a dice with the numbers 1 to 6 on it. This in theory means there is a 1/6 chance you will hit six when rolling the dice. However, this does not mean every 6 times you roll the dice, you hit 6 once. It means on average, over a long period of time and with enough frequency, you will have that 1/6 chance. Same with trading.
So, look at the long term. It is completely normal to lose money for a few months per year. This is just the reality and this is part of being a consistently profitable Forex trader.
How to become a consistently profitable Forex trader?
To become a consistently profitable Forex trader you need to do a few things. These are an edge and an ability to execute your edge.
But first, let’s be real here, the odds are not in your favor. Most people, I’d say 95%, lose money trading Forex. You need to figure out why you don’t belong in that 95% group.
There are a few things this group has in common. If you do the opposite of that the chances of you becoming a consistently profitable Forex trader will increase.
First, you need an edge. An edge in trading can be developed by following a consistent and proven process. This process has to put the odds in your favor one way or another. There are different ways you can do this. You can use:
Discretionary methods
Systematic methods
Mechanical methods
Automated methods
A combination
A discretionary method is a method with a strict process, but following it comes down to your own discretion. It is important to first find what fits your personality. Personally I used to trade a discretionary method for years until I figured out it didn’t fit my personality. Does it fit with your personality? Or, do you need a more rule-based approach?
Systematic methods are methods with a clear system, they are also called mechanical methods. This means it’s very black & white. It’s an if then, do that statement over and over again. The method we teach at CDFX Trading is 90% mechanical. I found that this method fits my personality the best. Next to that it is easier to test these methods. It’s also easier to teach them.
Keep in mind that systematic trading can also be non-mechanical. This means you have black and white rules, but they are not programmable. It’s very important to know your style. Knowing your style tells you what type of backtesting you should apply for better results. Need help with that? Contact us.
Automated methods are known as expert advisors in Forex trading. These systems can be programmed and can be fully automated. However, it is quite hard to code one if you don’t have any experience. Also, they need a lot of maintenance to stay profitable.
You can also use a combination of multiple things, that’s exactly what we do at CDFX Trading. Our method is 90% mechanical and 10% discretionary. This way we have the best of both worlds. We have a tested and proven strategy and can use our years of experience to add in some discretion to increase the profitability.
The point is, to become a consistently profitable Forex trader you should have a proven process, the concepts you use, the way you use it is totally up to you. You need a proven edge in trading, otherwise you won’t become a consistently profitable Forex trader.
Next to having an edge in trading, you need an edge that you understand. We all know that psychology is a big part of trading. Many traders experience psychological issues when trading. Most of these issues can be fixed by having an edge when trading, an edge that you understand and that fits your personality.
It all starts with figuring out who you are and what type of trader you can be.
If you notice any psychological mistakes during trading, keep track of them in your journal. After some time you will have a clear overview of the mistakes you keep making. You then ask yourself why you have these mistakes and come up with plans to fix them.
Becoming a consistently profitable Forex trader is all about trial and error and learning from your mistakes.
Getting an edge in trading that you understand and trading it consistently again and again is the secret to making profits in trading the markets.
How long does it take to become a consistently profitable Forex trader?
The time it takes to become a consistently profitable Forex trader differs a lot. In general I’d say it takes around 5 years, if you make it. And that’s a big if. Resilience won’t get you there. You need to learn from your mistakes, have access to the right information and keep improving.
Many people will tell you that you can become a consistently profitable Forex trader within a year. This is not true. I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’m saying you most likely won’t be one of the chosen few. It takes years to get to know yourself trading wise, to develop a proven process and to combat your psychological issues. Then, once you get there you need capital, this can also take some time.
In order to increase the speed of the process of becoming a consistently profitable Forex trader you can choose to get mentorship. A mentor has been trading for years and has made a lot of mistakes. You can learn from these mistakes. This can save you a lot of time.
Here at CDFX Trading we offer a 5 month mentorship. You will get personal attention, personal meetings and access to private content. Coaching provides you with feedback and makes sure you learn from your mistakes.
Notice it takes 5 months, not a week or two weeks, months. After these months it will still take you some time to become profitable, that’s just the reality. We can only help you so much, you need to do one part of the journey yourself.
So, the quickest way to becoming a consistently profitable Forex trader is by learning the basics yourself, then finding a real mentor and a real mentorship program, like ours. Do your absolute best to learn as much from your mentor as possible. Once you are done, take on the last part of the journey yourself. It’s then about learning from your mistakes, journaling and improving.
The holy grail in trading is: learning the basics, getting a forex mentor, finding an edge in trading that fits your personality, managing risk, learning from your mistakes and keep improving.
That’s it, that’s the “magic formula”.
If you are interested in our mentorship, go to our 1 on 1 coaching page. Here you will find exactly what we have to offer. It will be an advanced mentorship and it's not suited for everyone. So, master the basics and then join us to accelerate your growth as a trader and become a consistently profitable Forex trader like you've always wanted to be. Good luck on your journey of becoming a consistently profitable Forex trader.
To conclude
Becoming a consistently profitable Forex trader takes a lot of time and hard work. You now know more about finding your trading edge and sticking with your trading edge to become that consistently profitable Forex trader. Do you want to skyrocket your progress? Click here and read the article. It’s a free course. It’s a step by step plan that explains how to become a consistently profitable Forex trader. Start now and take action.
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