I just started with 2k tick ES charts early on so its what my eyes are used to in terms of getting a feel for the pace/volatility intraday. But I use short term minute charts too, especially in other markets where I dont have specific tick values to lean on, or if I'm trading the overnight session.
Ok, understand. But you do realize that volatility ebbs and flows and that 2000 ticks on one day in one type of market (bullish, bearish, range chop) might happen a lot quicker/slower than another day in another market type?
Yep, that's what I mean. I can tell tell by how fast or slow the bars are printing and their average range and get a good impression of the volume, volatility, etc. I mostly stick to minute charts on other instruments since I don't have as much experience with them.
Still working through this issue where I eventually get into a good position and manage it well (circled area on the chart), but waste a lot of money, commissions, mental capital getting there. When I am patient, I tend to do pretty well. But it seems like I usually have to get through some mental BS before I really focus and remember how to do things properly. I think a lot of it is discipline and impulse control. I always hear the adage that engineers suck at trading and artists are good at it, but the downside of being an actual musician vs. just a "creative type" is that my lifestyle with touring etc is not exactly full of restraint and discipline lol. So now I am trying to do something that requires a lot of restraint and discipline for the first time in my life and I find myself lacking. The creativity and "right brain" part of me is definitely useful for "flowing" and for not demanding mechanical perfection from the way the market moves or the way I interact with it. Its not like I want to idealize some soldier-like form of discipline and then chase after it. Just want to take less shitty trades. Taking a bunch of small losses and then making it back plus a decent amount on a good win is kind of the formula that seems to work, but I really feel that I am watering my results down in those areas where I am not even entering off of an actual edge but just randomly chasing the market and putting my stop where its easily hit. I would appreciate advice from anyone on how to get better at cutting out some of the waste in between the good trades.