I think its got alot to do with knowing were you are as a trader. When I was in search of a method/strategy that actually worked my emotions were a major struggle to deal with, which lead me to take trades I probably shouldn't have. Only to lengthen or completely mess-up the foward testing I was doing on a strategy. Once I found a method that worked and got proficient at it, emotions were no longer a factor in the slightest bit. I do think however if I was mature enough to realize where I was as a trader I could have had more success foward testing different strategies and maybe would have found one that worked a little sooner.