What Dr. Steenbarger Told Me About Great Traders
Why Preparation Is the Real Edge (And How to Build the Habit)
I just recorded a new podcast episode with Dr. Brett Steenbarger (out Friday 
)
We talked about trading, mindset, the usual…
But one thing he said really stuck with me:
“The separator between great traders and struggling traders?
Practice. Reps. Study. Preparation.”
No magic indicator.
No secret setup.
Not even some mindset hack.
Just solid prep.
And it got me thinking…
PREPARATION
If I surveyed 1,000 random traders…
How many would say they consistently prep well?
Like actually run replays… review their journal… plan their session… mentally walk through their trade logic?
I’d bet it’s under 5%.
Maybe less.
So if that’s the separator.
If that’s what Dr. S sees in the best of the best…
Then the real question becomes:
How do you make it a habit?
How do you make prep more important than clicking any buttons?
Here’s one idea:
Start every trading day with 30-45 minutes of no live charts.
No flickering prices.No entry temptation.No false urgency.
Just:
Your plan
Your journal
A trade you want to replay (static screenshot — no movement!)
A scenario you want to visualise
It’s not about avoiding trades.
It’s about getting sharper before you engage.
Because once the market opens, the noise starts.
And the pressure to perform kicks in.
So maybe the first trade of the day…
Is not placing a trade. 