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Just stop. Breathe. I post because I care, really and truly.
Your charts from before show you have a difficult time accepting a loss. You fade strength. There can be many reasons for this, but given your defensive attitude earlier on this thread, you seem to have a hard time taking criticism. This loosely translates to thinking you know better than others and wanting to be right. This makes it hard to take a loss.
I challenge you to not look at the market for 24 hours. Then I challenge you to look at it but not trade for 24 hours. Your name alone indicates you are an addict. If you trade live right now without making changes, you'll have the same result as you did before--blow up. You can't wait to get back in there... but you're getting back in there without changing anything, and you're going to get your ass handed to you again unless you do.
I went through all of this shit years ago. You have to be honest with yourself before you can even remotely dream of consistency in trading. Right now you are in no position to succeed. Not trying to be a trading coach here, because I have too much shit to work on myself. Just trying to point out in a friendly but straightforward way what many people reading this journal (who've been trading for a while) are thinking.
I agree with @josh here @Sandpaddict - it's all showing red lights to us experienced traders. Futures.io is a house of respect, camaraderie and support and as such @josh and I, (and others that have been biting their tongue) think we should post.
The general erraticness, the obsessive use of Caps Lock (capitals in my mind always sound like someone's screaming), the addict in the user name, you are trading to make brokers happy. Let me say it this way: I've never seen someone like that be successful, prove me wrong please.
You say you're learning from Al Brooks, and you acknowledge that psychology is an issue for you. Then why not focus a little on Al's personality when he's trading or talking. Calm, boring and a man who can put you to sleep by his video's. But also with lots of analysis, reason, arguments for bears, arguments for bulls, etc. He seems very rational, just as a @Big Mike or a @josh here. That to me is the perfect example of how you want your personality to be whilst trading. Don't be right, don't be wrong. Make a case for both sides and then choose which side you want to join.
Great post. Great advice. And you couldn't be more right. And I absolutely appreciate it!
I do fade strength. I have been VERY successful on sim. I understand that that means nothing!
My issue is when I compare live to sim they are completely different... COMPLETELY!!! Not talking results I'm talking actual trading.
Its like the sim sets me up for failure. I need to practice and lose more real money. Its the only way!
Its not that I won't take criticism. Yours seemed very AUTHENTIC compared to some.
Im here and TRYING to be honest with my faults. As I CAN SEE them as well. I find I make SOOOO many errors live. And as soon as I got live!
And your are RIGHT I can cut losers SO easily on the sim. But I usually don't! And when I go live ALL I hear in my head is all the BS I've been taught over the years...
ONLY Tight stops...
ONLY 2/1...
Let your winners ride (whatever the f**k that means)
Cut your losses (again whatever the fuck that means)
Only buy on pullback (cause those are always completely obvious)
I really started WELL. The confidence was there. That is the only thing I seem to not be able to control when it gets outta hand... And it gets so out of hand.
Then I got ATTACKED ON HERE to top it off and everything came rushing back. The fear... the your NOT trading like your SUPPOSED to again (WHATEVER THE F**k THAT MEANS). Ill show him... bla bla bla...
Theres a huge difference between indignity and helpful advice and understanding.
I don't know why but his ONE poster PUT ME ON TILT. NO QUESTION!
I came in here to discuss. Trade ideas. Get USEFUL feedback. And as a distraction so I can watch my trades without getting TOO distracted and micro managing.
Im also shamed to be a trader as what kind of a trader doesn't make money after 6 years and I just lost another HUGE chunk.
You also get these guys coming on YOUR journal to tell you they have it all figured out and your just doing it wrong with NO PRUDENT ADVICE AT ALL!
Its ALWAYS extra money but its in the 10's of thousands and counting...
I really don't care so much about this board anymore anyway. Its been along time since started talking to anyone online or any communities as they always seem to be festering grounds for these people.
I DO WISH YOU the best! And thank you for your kind words.
I'm going to keep at it cause I am a trading addict. And I will figure it out one day for myself. Or not. Whatever. But it probably won't be on here.
All this feedback is what I was hoping for in the beginning.
Of course this is all stuff I KNOW.
Once I go live it all goes out the window. And I have to stop trading now because Im upset and can't trade for myself anymore.
It's the back again the wall have to prove myself attitude thats destroying me and my account.
It sounds silly but I cannot trade without trying to prove a guy that attacked me on here wrong. Thats just the stupidest way to trade in the world!
I would give the SAME ADVICE you guys are giving to me... to me!!!
I do alot of ALL CAPS. Thats just me. Im not Al Brooks. Never going to be Al Brooks. But your point is clear! And you couldn't be more right.
Im NOT comfortable trading right now.
I can spout off... here's a high two buy signal (more reliable) after a pullback to the moving average after a high one spike and channel for a measured move up. Stop one tick above signal bar high. Understanding ALL that doesn't help me trade ONE BIT!
Wheres my confidence in that?
Its not about the money at all for me which maybe is an issue. Its the not getting the same rhythm and confidence I have on the sim.
In retrospect my live trading looks ridiculous but I DON'T SEE ANYONE SUCCESSFUL POSTING THEIR TRADES. I'm sure everyones a successful swing trader.(Im sure there must be some on here and maybe others can point out.)
Please my frustration is with MYSELF and if you heard anything negative it was not against you. Just having a tough time as I cant give up but I can't go forward.
Thank you again. Means ALOT!!! (theres those damn caps again lol)
I would appreciate actual feedback if anyone has any suggestions.
I appreciate generalities but as its NOT my knowledge its my actions that need correcting.
I have a belief that entries don't mean NOTHING. And I mean nothing.
I don't know why but I truly believe that. So it comes down to probabilities. But of course the market is always changing its flow so even those don't mean anything.
I know its the relationship BETWEEN my entries and exits. But I find I switch from 1/2 2/1 seemingly at the wrong time everytime.
My problem as well is those that give generally known advice have NO advice.
Question if anyones sees this?
-Whats your general R/R?
-Whats your normal entry? Stop? Limit? Inside/outside range? Above/below bars. Breakouts, failures? Purely discretionary, systematic, both?
-Whats your target based on? Measured moves? R/R? Previous highs/lows.
If I had myself standing over myself I don't even know how Id react to seeing myself trade. Was that a bad decision or just a bad decision at the time?
I base every trade on its own merrits. Thats why I dont understand ONLY ONE TRADE A DAY???
Your going to win or lose. So how is that different from taking ten trades a day. I've done that too. It only drains your account slower over time.
Back on sim as I basically blew account again. Being absolutely stupid. No question just stupid!!! But instantly I can see clearly. Im trading scared obviously.
Its quite clear why I lost so much. Im so focused on R/R and so focused on what Im supposed to do I lose sight of the market and the size of the volatility.
My R/R is not dynamic enough. My stop are either too close or too far. And they are based ON ME trying to find some kind of system when for me I know that doesnt work.
New plan. Stay back on sim for now and try trading volatility vs R/R.
It's not that you don't know! Its that you have to practice till its second nature. And you stop doing stupid stupid things! Clearly I didnt have enough confidence to go live yet.
Serious question: do you want to actually take a positive step towards improvement? If you say yes and you mean it, I will recommend something to you. I'm requiring an answer from you first before telling you so that you will commit to the notion that you do indeed want to improve. Maybe you don't and you just enjoy excitement, which is fine of course.
What I said is true. Of course I want to be successful... But your right. Maybe I really just want to play the game which I believe is also true. So YES I want to be able to stay in the game. Enough to be able to play. And my ridiculous antics show I'm not ready to go live yet.
So maybe not? I dont know?
Honestly just not sure other than I know I'm going to keep playing anyway. Just hoping to mitigate my mistakes/risk at least enough to stay in the game.
Right now if I put money in I blow it so no point in super capitalizing my account.
So whatever advice is great and I appreciate it.
Other than than that I guess grab the popcorn. (Which I thought was hilarious by the way! )
Thank you for taking the time to post here. It already means alot to me.
*addendum 2*
Taking josh advice.
1. NO trading tomorrow, don't even look at markets!
Tomorrow, don't look at the market. Forget about it. Don't look at a chart, don't look at a quote, don't look at a web site that tells you how the market is doing.
Monday, open your trading platform, keep it open, but find something else at your desk to keep you occupied. Read some articles, do whatever it is you do for work, watch some youtube videos, play with your dog, whatever. But don't take a trade, not even on sim. Don't stay glued to the market, but don't ignore it either. Just let it be there.
You can do either of these two things:
1) accept the advice of an outsider who has an incomplete but objective view of you, based on what you've said/posted
2) ignore this, and do it your way
If you accept the challenge, let's talk Monday after the close. If not, good luck!