I thought I was past this.

After a string of red days, I caught myself thinking:
“Surely I’m due for a winner.”

That quiet little expectation-
like the market keeps tabs and eventually hands you a break.

It doesn’t.

You can show up on time, follow your plan, do all the right things… and still lose.
Then show up sloppy the next day and somehow walk away green.
There’s no moral balance sheet here.

The market doesn’t reward effort.
It doesn’t care how bad yesterday felt.
It doesn’t owe you a damn thing.

And honestly? That’s hard to swallow when you’ve been doing this for a while.
Because with some experience comes pride.
And pride says, “I deserve better.”

But trading doesn’t care what you think you deserve.

Each session is a reset.
Each trade has its own terms.
If you’re dragging yesterday’s emotion into today’s execution, you’re already off-balance.

That mindset – “I’m owed” is subtle, but dangerous.
It leads to forced trades, oversized positions, trying to make the market give back what it “took.”

What helped me:
Reminding myself that my job isn’t to be right.
It’s to stay aligned with my process — regardless of what the market gives (or doesn’t).

Some days it pays.
Some days it doesn’t.
But none of it is personal.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If you’ve been at this for a while and still feel the pull of emotional trades, my Back to Basics of Trading series might help sharpen your edge again.