1271 - Why New Traders Feel Confused (And How to Fix It FAST)

·21 min·2 clips

A trader emails Akil saying charts now look like gibberish after a month of learning technical analysis.

Akil Stokes opens the episode by reading an email from a trader who has been learning technical analysis for a month but now feels overwhelmed and confused when looking at charts. The trader describes taking notes on Foundation One and Two courses but hitting a 'speed bump' where concepts no longer make sense. Akil relates this to a common issue discussed in recent Q&A sessions. He revisits the four stages of trading model from episode 1268, placing the trader in stage two: conscious incompetence, where awareness of ignorance meets the slow process of replacing unknowns with knowns. Akil uses a sports analogy to differentiate between knowing how to play soccer and understanding team strategy. He shares a personal anecdote about parking at Spooky Nook sports complex, where his kids' literal interpretation of a 'no parking' sign highlights the difference between black-and-white rules and real-world gray areas. Akil admits his own early trading mistake with double tops, losing money by trading every pattern without understanding context. He emphasizes that identification is not the same as execution. As solutions, he first advises taking technical courses twice: initially to learn concepts without thinking about trading, then again to focus solely on practical application. This prevents energy drain from splitting focus. Second, he recommends joining live trading rooms at Tier One Trading, where professionals like Jason Grayson break down markets daily, offering 'reps' to bridge theory and practice. For those not on the platform, he suggests watching his YouTube technical breakdown videos. Akil concludes that confusion is normal in stage two, urging patience and adherence to the learning-then-trading sequence.

As heard by us

A patient reset for newer traders overwhelmed by too much information.

Kiel Stokes treats information overload as a real obstacle for newer traders, and he makes that point through familiar scenes of kids, rules, and the daily hunt for parking at Spooky Nook.

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Why you'd press play

For when information overload turns your trading notes into snowdrifts.

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