One of the biggest problems we face as traders is information overload. There is just so much information to process these days that it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Combined with ever changing strategies, and it’s easy to see how confusion can set in.

We all know that the market is constantly changing, and that we need to adapt our strategies constantly to stay ahead of the pack. Coupled with this however is the fact that we should never change too many things at once.

From the beginning one should integrate into their trading, base practices that will span all strategies – behaviours and chart elements that will not change between strategies, and will become a familiar foundation for you to work on.

Something you should look to do is use generic indicators to simplify the information you process. You need to be ruthless about this. Find ways constantly to make your charts more efficient.

One example here is to use color to convey information where you would usually use numbers or text. Humans process graphical information far better than text. If you only trade at certain times of the day, then use a background indicator to color the background of your chart at these times. This is far more effective that looking at the time axis.

Another area of optimization is the use of sound. This is especially effective for processing events. Need to know when a new 30 minute bar starts, or when a signal fires? Use an audio alert.

Reduce the number of indicators you actually have to look at. Find ways to combine two indicators into one. If you have multiple entry filters, combine them into one easy to read graphic.

Always look for way to simplify. And focus on methods that can generically be used with any of your strategies. Whether you’re using pivots, crossovers, divergence or whatever, the principles above can all be used to make your day to day trading easier on the brain.