I want to flip the way I write this weekend article. I will talk about trading first and personal at the end.

As we enter the full swing of the holiday season, I was thinking of traditions both new and old. I found a parallel between tradition and trading rules.

Tradition creates the often-unsaid rulebook that we follow. In life, we may follow a tradition without knowing where it came from or why we do it.

In trading, those traditions could be a rule set or indicators that we once heard work in a specific way. Now we have them as our core methodology without knowing their origin.

Traditions shape us. When we have a rule set, we may think it is hard and fast law.

But it really should not be. It may have brought us success in the past, but we need to be willing to adapt as our knowledge increases.

Market conditions change. We can adjust our system to different indicator values and different options strategies without abandoning the entire plan.

We can hang on to the core of the tradition while adjusting the details for greater success. That core might be momentum trading or a specific indicator.

The most important part of trading traditions is the consistency and foundation we gain from them. This keeps us safe, profitable, and moving forward.

Do not be afraid to alter your trading plan if you have good data and are adapting to the markets. Keep the non-negotiable traditions such as rule following and risk management.

Maintain consistent trade execution. You will preserve your foundation while your results improve, bringing you more joy.

Now on to the Holidays

There are absolutely non-negotiable traditions in my family. Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" is one.

We make sugar cookies cut in the shapes of stars, trees, and snowmen. Only my mom's recipe will do.

Pizza on Christmas Eve is a must. Breakfast casserole and blueberry bread wreath fuel Christmas morning.

Specific stories must be read. Games must be played.

Children wait for the fireplace to be lit before they can see what Santa delivered. It is amazing how long that fire took to start.

Whether started with kindling and paper or the push of a button for the gas fireplace, the wait increased the excitement. These traditions made my childhood magic.

They filled my holidays with love and wonder. I have pulled them forward into my own family.

The traditions my parents set up in the 70s and 80s shaped our holiday. They created the feelings and memories around our family time together.

We have continued many traditions, yet we have also added and altered some for our children. The additions do not change my sweet memories of 40 years ago.

Rather, they adapt to the needs and wants of our own family. Variation of tradition can still pay homage to the past.

I have never roasted chestnuts on an open fire. I have never told scary ghost stories of Christmases long ago.

But you can be sure I will be singing that duet with Andy Williams at the top of my lungs. I do so every time it rotates through the playlist.

Traditions mold us and shape us but are not constraints that limit us. I am very grateful for the joy and happiness my parents provided.

I hope we have done the same for our boys as we have expanded and adapted our traditions. The core traditions remain. The things that are most important persist.

The tradition of parents doing all they can to create magic and memories for their kids continues generation to generation.

The tradition of family gatherings, games, watching George and Clarence, and sharing special experiences together continues every year.

It continues until the last frosted sugar cookie is eaten and the last line is sung: "Although it's been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you."

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