Responsibility and Performance : By Curtis Faith (Original Turtle from Richard Dennis experiment)

Jay's market outlook for 4th July, 2007 : July 04 (10:25) European markets made moderate gains last night, while the US indices settled for moderate gains. Asian markets are also up moderately this morning, and the global short-term trend is still up. Our market too may be in for milder gains, with a few stocks reacting..

Responsibility and Performance

One of the Turtle’s was always coming up with excuses and reasons why his performance was not as good as the rest of us. He even went so far as to blame Richard Dennis for his failure, saying that Rich had intentionally withheld the critical information from him and made it known to only a few chosen Turtles.

This was complete and unadulterated crap. We were all taught the same concepts. There were no secret rules.

This trader was never successful as a turtle because he did not take responsibility for his own performance. He preferred to blame external factors for his own failures.
If you want to trade well, you need to take responsibility for your own trading results. The market does not do things to you. The plunge protection team is not lurking in the shadows waiting to screw up your trades. Other traders are not gunning specifically for your stops. It just seems that way at times.

You are responsible for your trading results. This is the truth. You may pretend it is otherwise but that does not change reality.

So the sooner you recognize that you are the one driving the sooner you will realize that you can affect your own performance much more effectively by looking at what you are doing and by trading intentionally instead of accidentally. If you realize you are responsible you can start to look at your own behaviors and how those behaviors affect your results. If you realize that you are in charge of your own destiny, you can start to take positive steps to improve that destiny.
This truth like all truths will be your friend once you stop fighting it and embrace it; seeing it as the opportunity to take your trading and your life wherever you want to go.