outseta.min.js

with Sean Sawyer, MS

Session: #067 | Refining Trading Practices: New Tools and the CLEAR Framework

December 23, 2024

3 Key Points:

  1. Updates to the Discord include new channels and resources, such as a revamped values journal and additional fundamental materials.
  2. The CLEAR Mindset continues to integrate seamlessly with trading tools, focusing on practical application and self-awareness.
  3. A forthcoming daily worksheet will incorporate the CLEAR framework into structured pre-, intra-, and post-trading exercises.

This session explores new resources, including updated Discord channels and documents to streamline your trading psychology practice. Sean emphasizes the importance of the CLEAR Mindset and highlights its application across the newly refined steps of the trading process. A fresh daily worksheet concept is also in the works, providing traders with a structured yet customizable tool to enhance clarity and focus throughout the trading day.

Sean discussed practical ways to engage with the new materials, particularly in the fundamentals and values journal channels. He explained how these resources align with trading psychology principles, offering beginners and seasoned traders opportunities to explore more profound, actionable insights. Members shared personal experiences with the CLEAR framework, emphasizing its effectiveness in managing thoughts and emotions during high-pressure moments.

An impactful part of the discussion centered around acceptance—what Sean described as a natural outcome of practicing CLEAR’s components, particularly defusion. He encouraged members to reflect on their attachment to specific thoughts or emotions, using defusion techniques to cultivate resilience and a broader perspective.

One participant noted, “The process of handwriting daily reflections has been transformative—it slows me down and keeps me honest with myself.” Sean affirmed this approach, adding that integrating CLEAR concepts into a daily worksheet aims to inspire this kind of self-awareness while fostering sustainable, practical habits.

Looking ahead, Sean hinted at a more structured Q&A format for the Wednesday sessions. Pre-submitted questions would help create a focused and productive learning environment.

C.L.E.A.R. Mindset Connections

Connect to the present moment and enhance your self-awareness with practical techniques.

  • Focus on daily worksheets to center yourself at the start of the trading day and recalibrate during moments of stress.

Loosen your attachment to thoughts and emotions, and cultivate mental clarity and resilience.

  • Sean highlighted defusion techniques as a key way to address unhelpful thoughts, fostering a more objective mindset during decision-making.

Embody your core values and align them with your actions to foster authenticity and purpose.

  • The updated values journal encourages traders to revisit and refine their values, helping them stay aligned with their long-term goals.

Accept all the present moment offers, whether wanted or not, and find peace and strength.

  • Acceptance was framed as a byproduct of practicing other CLEAR principles, offering emotional stability amidst trading chaos.

Respond with decisive, informed action, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.

  • The discussion of a four-step framework emphasized using CLEAR as a decision-making compass, especially in market uncertainty.

Actionable Strategies

  • Regularly engage with the fundamentals channel and updated resources to solidify your psychological foundation.
  • Use the daily worksheet draft to structure your trading day and track your emotional responses.
  • Practice defusion techniques, such as labeling your thoughts, to create distance from unhelpful narratives.
  • Reflect on your core values in the values journal to maintain alignment with your trading goals.
  • Pre-submit questions for Wednesday Q&A sessions to maximize the community’s collective knowledge.

Act Accordingly

This session focused on refining trading psychology tools while fostering a deeper understanding of the CLEAR framework. With new resources and structured worksheets on the horizon, the community is well-prepared and confident to develop stronger, more intentional trading practices in 2025. As one member aptly said, “This isn’t just about trading—it’s about living more consciously every day.”

Sean Sawyer, MS

Psychotherapist | Performance Coach

Sean Sawyer, a psychotherapist since 2003 and full-time trader since 2017. Sean uniquely blends psychology and trading, offering insights from both worlds. His experience in psychological trauma and performance psychology helps individuals master decision-making and resilience in high-pressure situations.