"...formikatrading said: The problem is that the word "discipline" sounds and feels negative -- meaning that you "have" to do things you don't want to do...." You don't have to do things you don't want. You don't have to do anything at all. You do your work and find trades "you know you should take"... for your own researched reasons. But when it comes time to take the trade(s) you come up with a mental excuse to not take it. For example... you have a technical setup, but the Fed's announcement on rates is coming in 1/2 hour. Thinking the announcement might negatively affect your play, "you pass it up for now". In the mean time, the trade moves in favor of "what you intended to do"... then the Fed's announcement comes and the play pops even further away from you. So NOW what do you do? Chase it anyway at a higher price? Hope it pulls back to give you another shot at where you should have bought it 1/2 hour ago? What if it doesn't do that? So... you (1) had your reason to take the trade, (2) but you came up with an excuse to not take it.... and now you regret "not taking the trade when you should have when the opportunity was presented". That's lack of discipline. You can come up with a myriad of similar examples. I'm not giving you a hard time. I've done the same myself many, many times. Bottom line... be disciplined about taking your trades even if you can find a comfortable reason not to... and let stops control the risk. If you're not especially good about that right now, make it a point to get better.
I just don't believe in discipline - you sure can't will yourself to have it. However, when you have a big lofty goal - something you are fanatical about & have a clear metal picture of where you are trying to get to - than you do something every day towards reaching it through thick & thin, than amazing things seem to conspire to help you along. Your habits/routines tend to change slowly over time to help you meet your goal. Discipline for me is a by product of working towards a pleasurable life changing goal.
My father could have helped you with that. You could go from non-believer to believer in less time than you think.
I left home at 15 - so those with the ideal home environment are in a different universe than me. Younger people can be molded - at least for a while, as adults most erode into apathy doing the minimal required to keep the power turned on - just look around at all the obese people that are stuck on the couch - cable T.V., prescription zombie drugs, and a job and spouse they despise - few ever dare to really live a life they really dream of.