It’s natural to assume that the purpose of trading is to make money, so your goals should be purely financial. And while profits are a clear measure of success, focusing solely on financial goals—especially early on—can sabotage progress. In reality, your trading goals should be process-based first, financial second.

Let’s explore why non-financial goals matter most—and how they actually lead to better financial outcomes.

Why Financial-Only Goals Fall Short

Setting goals like “make £1,000 this month” or “double my account in 6 weeks” can lead to:

• Overtrading to hit targets
• Ignoring risk to chase profit
• Emotional decisions when you’re behind
• Unrealistic expectations in volatile conditions

These goals measure outcomes, which are only partially in your control. That leads to pressure, frustration, and inconsistency.

Process-Based Goals Build Real Skill

Instead of chasing money, aim for goals like:

• “Follow my plan for 20 consecutive trades”
• “Risk no more than 1% per trade this month”
• “Journal every trade within 15 minutes of closing”
• “Avoid breaking any of my trading rules for a week”

These are goals you can fully control—and they build the habits and consistency that generate money over time.

Financial Goals Can Still Play a Role

Once your process is rock-solid, you can begin to:

• Set profit targets tied to performance, not hope
• Define drawdown limits to control risk
• Gradually increase position size with confidence
• Track equity curve growth without emotional attachment

Financial goals are useful when they’re realistic, structured, and secondary to execution quality.

The Best Traders Prioritise Consistency Over Cash

Professional traders don’t obsess over daily profit. They focus on:

• Executing edge
• Managing drawdowns
• Refining their system
• Protecting capital

Ironically, this mindset leads to greater long-term profitability than chasing targets ever could.

Conclusion: Financial Goals Should Follow—Not Lead

Trading goals shouldn’t always be financial. In fact, the most powerful goals focus on process, discipline, and consistency. Get those right, and the financial results will follow naturally.

To learn how to set the right trading goals and build a strategy around structure—not just income—explore our Trading Courses designed to help traders grow with clarity, skill, and long-term success.