The Size Discipline Ladder — How I Moved from Micro to Full Size Without Ego

Introduction

Most traders blow up or stay tiny because of one thing: size. Too big too fast → fear or greed. Too small forever → stagnation. I used to swing between both. Then I built the Size Discipline Ladder. A slow, boring, rule-based climb. No ego. No rush. Just mechanical steps. This is the exact ladder I followed — and still use when I add new setups.

What the Size Discipline Actually Is

It’s the ability to:

risk what the plan says
not less because of fear
not more because of conviction
feel nothing when the number changes Size is the final frontier of the Neutral Zone.

How It Feels at the Top of the Ladder

It feels like:

the dollar amount is irrelevant
a full-size loss is just data
a full-size win is just data
breathing never changes
the plan decides, not the body

Quiet power. Not bravado.

The Ladder — Eight Rungs, No Skipping

Each rung lasts minimum one full month or 40 trades, whichever is longer. I never advance early. Never.

Rung 1 – 0.10 % risk per trade

Purely mechanical.
No emotional imprint yet.
Goal: prove I can follow rules with real money.

Rung 2 – 0.25 %

First time the loss can be felt.
Goal: stay neutral when the number stops being pocket change.

Rung 3 – 0.50 %

The “this actually matters” level.
Goal: execute clean setups without hesitation.

Rung 4 – 0.75 %

Where most traders start bargaining.
Goal: no size reduction after a loser.

Rung 5 – 1.00 %

Full psychological risk for many.
Goal: sleep the same after a full-size loss.

Rung 6 – 1.25 %

Conviction starts whispering “add.”
Goal: ignore it completely.

Rung 7 – 1.50 %

The ego rung.
Goal: treat this like 0.25 % felt years ago.

Rung 8 – 2.00 % (my current full size)

Final rung.
Goal: total indifference to the dollar outcome.

The Non-Negotiable Advancement Rules

To move up one rung I must hit all four:

Zero size violations the previous month
Neutral Zone presence ≥ 90 % in journal
Average execution score ≥ 9.0
Sleep unaffected after every loss

Miss any → stay or drop one rung.
No appeal.

Real Timeline From My Records

Started Rung 1: January 2022
Reached Rung 8: November 2024
Dropped back twice (Rung 6 → 5, Rung 7 → 6)
Average stay per rung: 4.2 months

Slow is the feature.

Common Traps I Learned to Avoid

“I’m ready early” → never am
Adding half a rung “just to test” → always ends badly
Advancing after a green month → recency bias
Comparing my size to others → irrelevant noise
Celebrating a new rung → breaks neutrality

How I Knew I Was Finally Free

One morning I placed a full-size trade. Lost it. Closed the platform. Went for a walk. Felt exactly the same as a 0.25 % loss years earlier. That was the day size stopped mattering. The ladder had done its job.

Final Thoughts

The Size Discipline Ladder is not about getting big. It’s about becoming indifferent. Because when size no longer moves you, nothing in the market can. Most traders try to skip rungs. They fall. I climbed one boring step at a time. No rush. No retreat. Just quiet, steady ascent. Full size isn’t the goal. Freedom from size is. And freedom is only reached one mechanical rung at a time. The view from the top is very quiet. See you up here when you’re ready.