Traded 1 day last week. +1100. I used vacation as an excuse to not take very good trades last week. I was out of town with my family doing travel/visit/family stuff. Trading is hard enough as it is. You should really be locked in room with out the chance of distraction.
This is not an aberration. This is a frequent occurrence. Even though I'm making money, it will never be a 6+ digits until I can just not give a shit where the market goes or how much money I'm up or down the day.
Your entries look early to me. The first trade you got out right where there were a bunch of buy stops... Why did you get out? I usually get out where I expect resistance using other lines.
I don't remember. This happened a long time ago. But knowing how I was riddled with irrational fear back then, I could have been spooked by just about anything.
Nothing Mon +600 -540 +1910 -1600 Having more realizations about my trading strategy: On average, there are about 3-4 trades per day according to my Pareto principle lines. I must must must hold my position to the close if I'm right, or cash out where my reward was at least 2x+ my risk. Tue I cashed out at $600 when I could have held those contracts to the close. The 1 loss the next day wiped out my gains. Also, so many of my setups lead to one way moves that last for 2-3 days. Today I had 2 losses that were both more then they should have been. I was running around and it was hard to get out exactly when I needed to as well when the market moves fast. Fuck the money, get the experience.
I write on paper and online journal about trading because it reinforces what I know and see trading. Though at this point I don't need it. I know what works. Just have to polish my skill with time. This morning I hesitated taking a great long at the open. It was absolutely perfect. Many reasons over many time frames. I have named my patterns to help a friend learn them and because it cracks me up. I am not the creator, and I imagine the 1% that make huge money in this are doing something similar; I'll give you a hint: Terri's Third Trendline Bounce, (reverse) Andrew's Fast Food Fork, and Reverse Rocketship Trendline. There was no reason for me not to risk ~$1000 (5 contracts). Why? I would have made my 10 points or more. That's $5K. I'm doing 5 lots now. No reason not to. I don't lose anymore. Here is my public humiliation. I take more screenshots now of trades that I see so I can kick myself every time I skip one that I had a gut feeling and my guidelines identified was great. Still made $4.8k today... and done. 2 possible trades today, it's noon. I'm done.
I am really good now at sitting for hours and doing nothing now that I realized logically how imperative it is. The purpose is two fold: the best day trades come around only 1-2 times per day and when I'm right, I'm usually right for a long time. +4,860 -2,290 -240 Nothing Thur -1250 Tue was quite frustrating considering I was long at the open. I got stopped/shaken out but didn't take the second/third reversals. All signs said buy. Today, trading 101. DON'T GET OUT UNTIL THE FUCKING BAR CLOSES. I just quit when I fuck up so hard.