So what makes a trader a professional trader? Would you say its because they make a lot of pips on a regular basis? Though that is nice to do, I beg to differ that it is much more than that! Imagine for a second someone who has traded for only 1 year. Let's say they've been profitable the entire year. Would you consider them a professional? Would you consider a doctor who's been doing surgery for only 1 year a professional? Would you feel pretty comfortable to have that doctor operate on you? You would probably agree with me and say no.

1. Risk Percentage vs Pips - Beginner traders are concerned with pips. Pro traders don't care about pips. They treat every trade the same. 100 pip trade has just as much to gain or lose as a 10 pip trade. Professional traders use risk percentage on each and every trade. Measuring one's performance based on overall accumulated pips is a false and misleading approach to measuring one's performance, unless those pips are earned using risk % lot sizes.

2. Fear or Feeling Nervous? - Intermediate traders, even pros will sometimes feel a bit nervous on a trade, but they don't let these feelings interfere with their trade decisions.

3. Method Hopping - Find something that works and stick with it. Learn it inside and out. Only add to your current system when the new addition makes sense and compliments your current system. Beginners are testing a new method every day.... which is okay to some degree as you search for something that fits your style. But eventually you need to settle down and start trading one method.

4. Experience - Just like the doctor I mentioned earlier, professional trading comes with experience. After about a full year of trading you'll understand this more. Trading is a career and should be treated like a business. A college education takes time. Don't expect to learn everything overnight. Think about the people at your current job with less experience than you. How would you feel if they thought they could learn all you know in a matter of months or days?

5. Consistency and 6. Patience - Having a set of rules and applying them to each trade in exactly the same manner. Don't shoot at everything that moves. Let the trades come to you. You don't have to be in a trade the minute you fire up your computer and open your charts.

So after 6 years of trading, why is it that I refer to myself as an intermediate trader and not a professional? Consistency and fear. Those are my two biggest battles that I still currently face every now and then. I sometimes have a problem with not being 100% right all the time, and when I lose I will at times beat myself up about it. Yes, I'm working on this and hope that in time these last two areas I occasionally struggle with will become a thing of the past.

Some Closing Tips - Find a group of traders in a place such as a forum where you can interact and become accountable for your trading decisions. You'll be surprised how much that will help you and how much more there is that you can learn and build from by simply interacting with other traders regularly. Best regards and good luck!!