Hey traders,

Let’s talk about something that every options trader goes through: crazy market days.

You know what I mean…those days when stocks are flying and prices are moving fast, with emotions ricocheting all over the place. 

Maybe your trade is way up and you feel like you’re on top of the world. 

Or maybe you’re down and suddenly everything feels heavy.

Either way, you still have to learn to stay cool. 

If you can’t control your emotions, the market will chew you up.

I’ve been there. 

Early on, I let the highs take me too high, and the lows hit way too hard. 

But over the years, I’ve learned how to stay steady — win or lose.

These are some tips from a guy who’s been there.

1. Stick to the Plan

This is huge. 

Every trade I make starts with a plan that includes my entry, exit, and risk. 

I don’t just jump in because a stock is moving. I ask: What’s my goal? Where’s my stop?

So when things get wild, I don’t have to think twice. 

The market might be going nuts, but I already know what I’m doing. If my target hits, I take profits. If my stop hits, I cut it.

No exceptions.

2. Wins Don’t Make Me a Hero

Big wins feel good. 

But I remind myself it’s just one trade. I didn’t beat the market, I just followed my plan and it worked.

I don’t let it go to my head, because if you let a win make you overconfident, you’ll start breaking your rules. And the market loves punishing cocky traders.

So I take the win, smile, and move on.

3. Losses Don’t Break Me

Losses are part of the game. Nobody wins 100% of the time. 

The key is to keep losses small.

When a trade isn’t working, I don’t sit there hoping it’ll turn around. Hope is not a strategy. 

I cut the loss and live to trade another day.

Yes, it stings sometimes. 

But you know what stings more? Holding a loser too long and blowing up your account.

4. Breathe. Zoom Out.

When the market gets wild, I take a second to breathe and look at the big picture.

One trade won’t make or break me. Even a bad day won’t ruin me — unless I let it.

Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m here to get better every day, not to swing for the fences on every setup.

5. I Focus on the Process

This one changed the game for me.

Instead of watching my P&L tick up and down, I focus on the process: 

Did I stick to my rules? Did I take a good setup? Did I manage risk?

If the answer is yes — that’s a win, even if the trade lost money.

When you get the process right over and over, the money takes care of itself.

You’ve Got This

The market can be exciting. Scary. Emotional. 

But it doesn’t have to control you.

Whether I’m riding a big win or taking a tough loss, I go back to the same things: Stick to the plan, manage risk, stay humble, and focus on the process.

That’s how I stay steady when everything feels crazy.

Keep it simple and always trade with a plan.

You’ve got this.

Jack Kellogg