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Well done AJ! I find that clearly itemizing the exact flaws you are noticing on yourself helps a great deal in eventually overcoming them. I go through this dance every week with myself and in the short time of doing a journal here at futures.io (formerly BMT), things have drastically improved in the areas identified. It's not pretty and it takes a lot of honesty with yourself, but it's 100% worth it.
It seems like you're getting down the road of routine, which is a very good sign of proficiency. I see a bit of fear of losers remaining in your trading, but the most important skill you now have is the ability to analyze yourself. That is the core competency that allows you to improve all others!
I grew a bit this week. Which is all we can ask for
The positives.
My emotional control is getting better. This is a major key to my success.
@Big Mike said something to me in the chat box one London open that has stuck with me....
"AJ, whether this trade idea works or not, I hope you take away something positive and build on it"
The key phrase is Trade Idea
Each entry you make is a Trade Idea. A concept. And, as is with all concepts or ideas, there is room for
shifting or molding of the idea until it becomes reality.
So it is with a trade. The idea is that price, at some point, is going to reverse at some resistance level.
Some consolidation has happened and it is likely Price will test some lower level.
You must give price some room to reverse. Sometimes there may be 1 or 2 smaller pushes back up to test the
sellers resolve. I have been taking advantage of this by scaling in at a slightly better price. But only if
PA decrees that the Trade IDEA is Still Valid. This is a very dangerous game that I keeping a tight leash on.
Now, all this is more of a swing traders mindset. More grey than black or white.
I still have my Battle Scalping plan in effect which IS black and white. I trade the extremes.
I am in quickly and out quickly if price moves against me / breaks from the structure of the sideways
channel.
However, I am using the above strategy less and less.
I am trying to figure out a long term plan constantly. Where is the general direction and let's move with it for
bigger targets 30-50 tick range. This will give some opportunities to scale in and take advantage of the moves
that are stellar and you NEVER see coming.
So, in essence, my over all trader's mindset is expanding.... becoming more professional.
I am learning to embrace the heat somewhat, telling myself, this is not heat, it is an opportunity to expand upon
my concept by scaling in another car at a better price.
Once again, up to a point. The second you have the notion that the other side is in control you must flatten your
position and re-evaluate. Re-entry in the same direction is fine, if it was simply just a deep test, that we all
know happens.
My charts are the same.
My entry techniques are the same.
What is evolving is my mindset,and thus, Trade Management.
Small steps
Small steps
The negative
I went BE again a few times for no logical reason and I took profit again when nothing was telling me the trade was over.
Same old song and dance.
But I know I will outgrow these behaviors. It is simply fear of the unknown.
@sharky told me something when I was first starting out and he was looking over my trades.
"You're getting out of the trades early, but you will outgrow that"
Wanted to say that over the last few weeks, you seem to have made some real progress in your trading. Maybe even a marked advance?
Even your wrong trades, it seems you have a good handle on not even where you went wrong, but what your emotions were while in the trade and what you could do differntly and what you will do if those same circumstances occurred. It just seems to me you are handling the emotional side better which equals better trade management.
Is that a fair observation?
On another note, check out my journal...my last post...I need your imput.