At the famous Oracle of Delphi in Greece, men and women who wished to know what their futures held would be greeted by the injunction “Gnothi Seauton” or “Know Thyself’ inscribed in stone above the entrance to the Temple. In the same way, trading should also be seen as means of attaining self-knowledge in the pursuit of material wealth and success. These insights will come naturally throughout your trading career, but these answers can also be brought forth by asking the right questions.

Therefore, here is a list of some of the most important questions you can ask yourself before, during and after each trading day. Although not exhaustive, these should be the foundation for asking your own questions for getting to know yourself better:

What do I feel before I place a trade? During? After?
What is the quality of my self-talk?
What difference would it have made to my trading if I had eliminated undisciplined trades?
How systematic and controlled am I in terms of my trade execution and management?
Do I stick to my plan? If not, why not?
Are successes followed by further successes? Are losses followed by further losses? If so, why?
What can I do to improve my overall trading performance?
What have I learned today – both about the markets, and myself?
What percentage of my trades are winners? Is this in line with my expectations?
What is my edge over the countless other market participants who are trading at the same time as I am?

Trading is frequently described as 20% methodology and 80% psychology. However, by regarding a trading career as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn not only about the markets but also about yourself, you will be that much closer to securing success both on an internal level as well as an external one.

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