The following is an article by Norman Hallett of Subconscious Training Corporation, it is about why we are or want to be traders. There are some very thought provoking questions asked. We would suggest that you ask yourself these questions. It should help you with your trading plan and how you approach the market.
Why do you trade?
Is it because you want to make "easy money"?
Do you like presenting yourself as "a trader" (romantic figure of a riverboat gambler)?
Are you trying to supplement your income or trying to transition to a more lucrative and interesting job?  Have you asked yourself WHY you trade? What I'm trying to get at is this: are you serious about being a trader? OK.....what I mean by "serious". Serious is when you treat your trading like a business. Serious is when you live a life that is supportive of trading. Serious is that you are committed to the long term road to success. Treating your trading like a business means developing a written business plan. A business plan forces you to sit down and spell out your goals and objectives and how to achieve them.
It makes you analyze if your goals and objectives are realistic; it spells out a way to measure your progress toward your defined goals.
Within the business plan should be a step-by-step description of your trading system; money management rules and technical requirements. A business plan is a road map of how to get where you want to go but its greatest benefit is in pro-ducing the thought behind it. Just because it's your plan doesn't mean it is set in concrete. It can be changed and should be reviewed on a regular basis. Trading requires careful attention to your physical and mental state. A trader needs to develop a plan for trading self-awareness. Ask yourself, "how do I know when I am not focused enough to make good trading decisions?" What rules should you have when you are "in the groove" (should I stop trading after a certain amount of wins or should I continue trading until I start losing)? What should you do if you hit a losing streak? How can you keep yourself in a positive frame of mind? On the physical side, how much sleep should I get to be sharp? Am I eating the right foods to help optimize my abilities? Have I had a physical lately?
Have you thoroughly convinced yourself that losing trades are normal and are opportunities to learn? Are you committed to keeping a trading journal to help chronicle and analyze your trades? Can you turn your psyche and ego away from the normal negative feelings associated with losing? Do you fully understand the philosophy of cutting loses quickly and conserving your trading resources; that the key to success is to be able to have staying power and to allow probability to work on your side?
Do you understand that there is always more to learn and that you can't be complacent with what you know? Have you thought about finding a coach or other "outside observer" to help hold you accountable to your trading commitments?
All these questions "cleverly masked" as suggestions are meant to make you think about your level of commitment to your trading. If these suggestions seem unnecessary or too much work, you are probably destined to join the ranks of the ex-traders.
Remember, to be successful as a trader is an ongoing challenge and it takes a focused and disciplined person to be a winner.
Yes, it's difficult but it can be done.