I actually tried to take profits and take losses roughly the same, because that increased the win rate to ~55% from < 45%, perhaps that is a bad idea. True, it is more like playing roulette than a fair coin toss. The more I day trade the more respects I have for day traders. It is a tough game. Hat off to you guys.
Bad idea. You seem to think you control the order/sequence in which gains and losses occur. You do not. Using your 50/50 metric, using your 25 trades/day metric, are you prepared for 13 CONSECUTIVE losses in a day? It is the order/sequence in which gains and losses occur that generates the 50/50 (W/L) metric. Not the other way around. And it applies to any measurement interval... Daily, 13/25, Weekly, 63/125, etc. What if market(s) and/or trading instrument(s) do not offer "X" number of trades in a given day that are acceptable to you? So, yea, there's that too. Better would be to analyze "streaks" and determine some squishy probabilities. But that involves knowing your set-ups, which you are reluctant to look at.
It is not uncommon that investors prefer a steady 5% over a volatile 10%: risk adjusted return concept.
Thanks for your comments. Those are very constructive feedbacks that is needed. You are right, my thought process may be flawed.
Good point Mr SunTrader. Thanks for the coaching. I may have to learn how to be uncomfortable, just like learned how to take lots of small losses and not be too upset. I was hopping to have my cake and eat it too.
I remember the days when I traded manually. Some days I would get nervous just cause I traded a little big. But I liked that feeling. Somehow the nervousness gives me a little energy. When the trade ends in profit, it's like a little climax. Nowdays, it's boring. Like watching paint dry kind of boring. Even after almost a year not trading myself, I still have the feeling to just put on manual trades...
Based on your input, I changed my approach. Instead of getting a fixed # of trades, today, I kept trading based on price movement, stopped when price started to consolidate and range and there were no more entries I like. Called it a day, another positive day. Thanks @tiddlywinks.