I think you are taking the right approach in most ways. But you have to keep in mind something very important regarding the underlined bit above... All it takes for a $10K month is $500 per day. If you can get 250 bux per contract on two contracts each day, in 20 trading days you got it. BAM! (In all my calculations, I assume 20 trading days in a calendar month.) You seem to be on the right track. Rock on!
$250 / day per contract is totally doable for me in this environment. Just have lots of hesitation and failure to pull the trigger. Still looking for that "sure thing" that never happens in trading. Often it takes me like 20 or so minutes for the market to be open to say "fu#k it, lets take a trade" when I know for a fact I just left about $150 / contract on the table by hesitation. The open is tough enough. Not clicking the mouse when it needs to be clicked is so easy its hard !
I hear you. You and I seem to be in similar situations, although a lot different at the same time. But if you are truly an "NQ nut", which open are you really talking about? The RTH, or the true CME open/close? Did you see what true NQ nuts would see after the RTH close today? Down 10 points, then up 20, in that last hour? That's just nuts on a Friday.
I generally only trade the morning session. My eyes cant handle sitting at a computer all day. Plus my accuracy goes down once the market has been open a few hours.
That is the beauty of the NQ. You don't have to sit at the computer all day. If you take a couple of trades in the morning, make some profit, then walk away. Many times the 4-5 PM and after 6 PM times can make major moves you can get in on. Takes nary a few moments to catch a move at any time the thing is open. P.S. Since you have found something that works for you (volume leads price), then just keep doing what ye be doing. The rest is just ideas to think about.