On reflection, my life outside of trading is complex. The times I lose focus are often due to external factors (apart from greed/fear we all have to sort through). So in this thread I'm thinking about doing something simple to the point it is second nature. Which is happening. I'll have to see if I can get to where 'second nature' can carry me through those external factors. Of course, having days when you know not to trade is a skill also. Formulas can do a lot, but I suspect GIGO with the data I have in these circumstances. So not doing all the nuances beyond support/demand and retraces, even if sensible and interesting, is the more practical choice at this time, I'm thinking.
Would be an interesting discussion for the psychology sub-forum, but I've seen people who just seem to have an ingrained core value of being uncomfortable above a certain threshold of money. These core values and beliefs supersede reason, and although you clearly know how to trade profitably, perhaps you just hit a point which triggers some of these internal factors and they override your efforts and cause you to bring yourself back to a level that you are more subconsciously comfortable with. Maybe it's not a certain level of money, but you're more comfortable working to succeed than actually participating in success, so your psyche prolongs the process even when it is unnecessary. Definitely don't want to claim to know anything about your situation, but perhaps some of this may warrant further thought. Just things I've encountered before and had to face similar ones within myself as well.
Anyway, we all know where we are in the current macro-trend, but here is a look at the daily context.
0948: Sees like a serious failure to go above 78. LOLR may be down. Oh. We get RET and down continuation. So Straight line guys should have gotten in.
I suggest that the LOLR thing be put on the back burner, or abandoned. It's an artifact from the Wyckoff stuff and is more a distraction than an aid. The "LOLR" is presented by the break of a D or S line. If one questions it, the trade is gone by the time he's resolved his question. In this case, the entry is at 74 after the RET. That's it.
Well, pretty standard day. In hindsight, I probably didn't need to eat the retracement from 64 to 74, but I didn't think it would be that deep. By the time I realized it already seemed to be slowing down though.
**The retracement from 66 to 74, from 9:50 to 10:00. Made a typo there. Also, price seems to be remaining in the consolidation range which formed after the huge sell-off. Traders seem to need a little more time to gather their bearings. A few pushes against the edges but no consensus on the new direction yet. Might see a little more action than usual later on today if either side starts to gain dominance.