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I'm little bit hangovered and I decided do not take any trades today. I did mark a couple trades and it was kinda clear for me. The first trade I marked right after I opened my charts without any analysis of MACDs. It just looked short to me looking at PA. Then I got little bit deeper in MACDs and I saw that we are going long. Waited for smaller MACDs to setup for long and that would be pretty nice trade.
I feel like I can see it little bit better now, but it might be just this week and market conditions. I had the same feeling few times before, but then I get of the rail.
Here are the trades I marked:
For this week I've got $420 after commissions. Only 10 trades which is very nice I think.
Just marked another trade and it went trough my target by one tick. This could be really nice trading day for me. Haha... I wish I could see it so good every day.
I took 10 trades and I'm not proud of that. I just couldn't deal with with -4.3 after 4 trades. And guess what, I got it to -6.2. Haha. Then I had a couple good trades, but failed with management. My trade #8 ran for 2+ points and I saw that it's coming back up, but didn't take profit. I was waiting for bigger move to get mo to BE. Then next trade ran for 6.7 and I saw that nice pull back is coming, but didn't take 6 points and it took me out wit 3.7.
Now I have -2.4 but I can deal with that. It feels much better than -4.3.
I have to learn how to close my position without second guessing. I know that it's easier to close and get in again on pull back, but something always stop me from doing it and I just wait work my stop.
I could be up a couple points if I at least close my trades 8 and 9 when I thought to. It did get to my target 76% and it's also around yesterday low area.
I think I'll do it better tomorrow. My big mistake that I didn't spread my chart. I didn't see how far from the pivot I was getting in on my first trades.
The important thing to me is that you stuck with it and continued finding good trades.
You started off not-so-good, but then you pulled it out. That is the most important thing. It is better than having good entries and then giving it all back and falling apart as this shows you had a balanced mind even after some tough trades. The question though it how long would you have gone or what would you do if it would have ranged?
I guess we'll never know. That's why I'm upset that I didn't get profit form trades #8 and 9 when I had to. Also I had a lot of trades I could avoid and my big stops killed me today. I feel like I didn't read smaller MACDs really well today. That could be a reason for my clicking.
Technically speaking, you will never get it right all the time. (I know you know that!)
Psychologically understanding if what and why you did these things to me is critical. Watching you helps me see myself from the outside.
We all tend to judge ourselves harshly or too positively and that is all 'ego' based. Rarely are we objective about ourselves and our trading. The key for me is watching you and understanding why you stayed trading, where would you stop (until you empty your account? || until you got tired?)
The key for me or my understanding at this stage of my career as a trader is capital preservation to live another day. Your big stops help you as much as hurt you and I don't think that is the issue. Many days it really doesn't matter where you enter, it is more a fact of your emotional control over your P&L that makes the difference.
I have seen a series of you flubbing the first few trades and then getting it right and making some gold. To me, I would focus in on why you hold those trades longer and why you don't get those more often?
Is it patience? (wanting to get into the action)
Is it self-sabotage? (wanting to fail, believe it we all do have this within us)
Is it ....?
You can spot the good trades and you can get the great runs. Technically you and I are on different levels, but emotionally we are similar in my opinion. I think you probably have the edge on that though as you do a much better job of sustaining your winners.
You did good in my opinion, but take it for what it is worth. You are getting there, but the key is to limit those first few losers and/or holding your trades down some. I see over-trading and impatience being your two biggest challenges.
Whereas I believe mine are impatience (entries) and impatience (exits).
And of course we both suffer from lack of confidence which I believe comes back.
I need to record more about my emotions as I am trading and so I can review that again. Stuff like, "I am thinking that if I stay trading then I can make some more points" or "I am thinking that I have to get back to breakeven" or "I am thinking right now of ending my day because I don't want to give it back" and go through those emotions.
Something I used to do and haven't been. I think the better we understand our emotions the better we will trade, but not sure on how to overcome that as fast as I would like (impatience).
If you disagree with this assessment, then please do. Just my thoughts about really myself more than you.
I hear a lot of self-deprecation in your talking. You are beating yourself up a lot over not seeing the vision. But, in reality you did have the vision, but you were just a bit early.
The key thing that you must embed in your head is that you are a good trader, and you are not right 100% of the time, but when you do well which is the majority of the time you will more than make up for the bad trades/days.
I had a lot of no fills today. On my last trade I moved my stop to +1 point after 2 points move in my favor and it took me out by a tick and then straight to my target for 4+ points.
Another thing I have to learn. If I see that trade is still going in my favor I should not move my stop very close to price on the pull back, but I have to move it if I see something against me. On my first trade I could get over 2 points if I didn't move my stop to BE+1. I think in choppy market I should keep my stop a couple ticks away from the pivot. I moved it because we broke down from sideways.
It wasn't easy day for me, but I had a lot of opportunities to make money.