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Fantastic list. Print it out. Make it your forum signature. Glue it to your head. Do something, anything, to not loose sight of it.
I encourage you to stick with this exact list for quite some time. Months probably.
I suggest #7 and #10 as they are simple to solve, but pick any two on this list and make them your primary objectives. Every day, your goal is to accomplish these two things. Nothing else matters. Nothing else.
If you pick over trading and turning off computer when done, this is how it looks:
- Establish a set number of trades you are allowed per day. I recommend between 1-3. You pick the exact number, but I recommend it be exact not a range. Like 2. Or 3.
- You will, no matter what, take those trades. You will not take fewer than. You will not take more than. I recommend this be inclusive of sim+cash. So trade cash if you want, trade sim if you want, but treat them the same - do not count separately.
- When you've executed the last trade, announce it. Make a forum post immediately, "done for day, details coming". Commit to it. Tell friends on skype. Lock yourself into it. You will not, under any circumstances, continue to trade that day. Not only that, you will step away. You will not screw with charts. You will make your journal post and then you will step away. You will live life. Find something to reward yourself, like you will go and call a grand child and ask them how their day was. Make it a ritual. You will go walk around the block. You will watch sports center. Whatever it is, it is reward, and routine. It is encouragement to leave your office and not come back for a few hours.
- Share with us your success each day. Be honest. Did you take the correct # trades? Did you leave your office?
- Do this ever day for 2 weeks at minimum. Do not care about anything else on the list.
- After you master this you can cross it off your list, mission accomplished - you now know how to not overtrade and you now know how to leave your office at end of day. You now pick two new things off the same list.
You will succeed. You control it. You make it happen, and nothing is holding you back. Trade minimum lot size during these two weeks. Trade sim if you need to, although cash is better if you can.
I want to read everyday about these two things. Every day. And I don't want to read about 'new' concerns, those are not allowed right now. You have a list of 10 things. This is 2-3 months of homework if you are focused. No need to think about anything else for a while. It's a great list, you need to accomplish these.
If you pick method things as your two things, questions to ask: Can someone else, in this thread, follow your method? What part of your rules are impossible to realistically follow, if any? How much discretion? What is leading to success and failure, is it the method or is it lack of following the method.
Also I am big on the reward and accountability stuff. You are trading for your grand kids, right? You have to find right balance of accountability without over stress.
For me, I used to send all trades to a friend and he would call me an idiot if I took stupid ones not per my plan. For you, can you involve someone? Pick someone in the thread, and allow them to act as this person to you? Maybe you can pick something like a family member, and when you meet your goals (the two you will pick on your list --- nothing to do with profit) then maybe you can do something rewarding together, to incentivize you and make you accountable.
We all know you want to do the right thing. But you need to find a new way to get your mind, body, soul on board with you.
Sorry it is hard to write this type of post on pain meds and with one hand. Hope it has made some sense. We are here for you. You will succeed.
Platform: Sierra Charts, Investor RT, Ninja Trader
Broker: VanKar
Trading: NQ
Posts: 520 since Sep 2009
Thanks Given: 583
Thanks Received: 1,248
Mike
Thanks for the feedback. It means a lot to me. For the first two issues to address, I chose "Trading setups not in plan" and "Overtrading".
I have 2 setups:
1. Breakout/breakdown of an inside bar on a 15 min CL chart.
2. The ergodic setup: I use a 233 tick and a 610 tick chart.
a.. Trade in the direction of the Long Term Ergodic (it is the intermediate trend after the long term trend on the EMAs).
b. When both ergodics are above the zero line, trade only long; trade only short when the ergodics are below the zero line.
c. Enter after the ST ergodic crosses its signal line and goes in the same direction as the LT ergodic.
d. Hold the position as long as the slope of the ST ergodic SIGNAL line is in the same direction as the LT ergodic.
-A divergence of the ST ergodic signal is a strong reversal signal especially when it crosses through the LT ergodic in the opposite direction. Do not take the counter trend trade.
-The key points are a and c.
I will only trade these setups. My primary instrument is CL and the chart settings are above. I do look at 6B some, and the tick values may change for that instrument. I am looking to do 3 ergodic setups per day and 1 inside bar, for a total of 4 trades.
On a separate issue, when I put the entire list in the signature, I got an error message about going over 5 lines. This is the first signature I created, so not very experienced with it. Is there a way to put the whole list in the signature?
My focus is on:
1. Avoid the opening chop.
2. Honor stops
3. Ensure reward > risk on all trades
Platform: Sierra Charts, Investor RT, Ninja Trader
Broker: VanKar
Trading: NQ
Posts: 520 since Sep 2009
Thanks Given: 583
Thanks Received: 1,248
I did an analysis over the week end on my two setups. I looked at the number of wins vs losses by the hour of the day. I made some very interesting observations.
-for me, the best time to trade the inside bar is between 9-10.
-the best time to trade the ergodic is between 10-12.
-I was more likely to expand my stops on ergodics before 10....guess I just did not want to start the day off on the wrong foot.
The basic analysis is attached.
My focus is on:
1. Avoid the opening chop.
2. Honor stops
3. Ensure reward > risk on all trades
Platform: Sierra Charts, Investor RT, Ninja Trader
Broker: VanKar
Trading: NQ
Posts: 520 since Sep 2009
Thanks Given: 583
Thanks Received: 1,248
I used my gameplan of 1 inside bar trade and 3 ergodic setups today. Based on the analysis of past performance, I have done better using inside bar trades before 10 am and ergodic trades from 10-12. I used that as a guide today.
There was an inside bar at 9:30. I favored the downside breakout, but the market went up instead. My buy stop was hit at 9:42 at 103.94. The market did not continue surging up as it frequently does on an IB breakout. Instead it chopped around and I was taking heat. After 3 minutes in the trade without hitting the profit target, I started looking to exit around break even. Market did come up and I exited for a small profit at 9:47. The market did go on higher, but from past experience, taking this long to reach the profit objective is a warning sign to get out.
Shortly after 10 am, I saw a short setting up on the ergodic charts. At 10:08, on the 233 tick chart the short term ergodic was well below 0 and its signal line, the long term ergodic was at 0. On the 610 chart, the long term ergodic was well below 0, but the short term one was positive but had turned down and was beneath its signal line. I entered short,and within a minute was stopped out. Almost as soon as I entered, the 233T short term ergodic turned up and stayed up. I was not quick enough to cut the trade before the stop was hit.
I waited for all indicators to get lined up properly before entering the next trade at 10:35. The profit target was hit in 8 seconds. There was no time to even consider adjusting it higher.
The market then chopped around for an hour and a half or so. Nothing set up and I considered just calling it a day but at 12:48, the 233 tick chart gave a good entry and the 610 tick chart had all factors with the exception of the long term ergodic was positive. Its short term ergodic was negative and increasing its distance from its signal line. I entered well below the chop zone (and also below an inside bar that formed at 10:45 and had not been violated). The profit target was quickly hit.
I stuck to the number of trades today and took only the 2 allowed in the plan. Execution on the inside bar trade was good; the first ergodic trade was rushed a bit but the other 2 were correctly done.
Charts are turned off. Going to eat lunch and work on some other things.
My focus is on:
1. Avoid the opening chop.
2. Honor stops
3. Ensure reward > risk on all trades
On the 233 tick chart, is the loss really 20+ ticks or am I reading that wrong? I see a red line going from top to bottom and it looks to be about 20 or so ticks?