In tough times like 2016, traders often feel as though things can never go their way. This feeling typifies how stock trading can be incredibly emotional. We all want to make money, and that can mean chasing a stock on its way up or calling a bottom on its way down. Everyone has bought a stock at one point or another because they felt like it “just can’t go any lower” or “this rally is just getting started.” But the traders who consistently beat the market are those who realize that emotion has nothing to do with the performance of a stock. These successful traders also obtain many other qualities; today’s article highlights 10 of their most lucrative traits and their implications on your portfolio.

1. Remove Emotion From The Equation

As I mentioned above, successful traders are those who have removed emotion from the equation. A stock does not increase in value because people think it will go higher; rather, it does so because traders and investors have made the conscious decision to allocate capital toward it. We all know this, but often forget it in the heat of the moment. Before you submit your order, reflect on why you’ve decided to enter the trade. Is it because you “just have a feeling that it will go higher” or that you conducted thorough technical or fundamental analysis?

2. Don’t Chase Anything, Ever

Seems simple, right? Buy low and sell high, they say. But this is much easier said than done due to the interference of emotions. Everyone wants to make money, but more experienced traders know that more often than not, chasing a stock will result in losses. In theory, this makes sense. Take the scenario of people sitting at their monitors, just like you, and watching the same stock spike right before their eyes. Before they can even enter the trade, thousands of share have traded hands and the stock spikes even more. By the time your trade goes through, it is likely that much of the air has deflated and the stock begins to rapidly descend from its high, as money managers are ripping the carpet out from under you before you can even realize it. Learning not to chase a stock higher (or lower, if you’re on the other side of the trade) comes with experience. If you’ve fallen victim to the scenario I just played out, use it as a learning experience.