Over a year it has taken to make some progress reading "what is going on" and I think this is absolutely key to reducing pre-trade anxiety and daft trades. Feeling more comfortable and actually looking forward to the trading day. Next step: work on the in-trade anxiety.. hopefully takes less than a year. Ok day except the exit of first trade before FOMC and small stops which I intend to stick with regardless of what Mr. Market would prefer I do. Day over for moi... +4.75 NQ, +50 EUR If we gap up tomorrow and 1930 holds, then 1973 ndx should be a sneeze away. Otherwise back to 1908 area.
Could be a wash out but I won't be in it because I am done.. Some day I will hold till close but lately a recipe for fried shorts.. Littered the chart a bit early but cleaned up as the day progressed. Really wanted to hold final trade to close as the beginning of a correction in a market such as this one will be a surprise considering the comfort level.. Did well today in that I stayed alert mentally by taking frequent breaks from watching the vibrator.. If we close here NDX bar quite ominous (no meaning though) and quite a bit weaker that Dow or S&P.. +4.5 for the day.
11 trades today... Until there is significant reaction to something, day trading indexes a very hard proposition.. VERY difficult activity today.. borderline nauseating.. Will sit aside and watch for a few days and swing trade mini euro in the meantime.. 4 days work gone.. -17.5 for the day.
Currently short Euro Micro from 1.3520 as a swing trade after a couple of 15 pip stop outs. Will swing trade M6E and hopefully E7, then 6E as risk dictates. Having an alternative to NQ a serious relief. Bottom line one must be funded enough to at least carry an underlying swing trade while daytrading, IF you REALLY CAN daytrade. Trying to grow ones account exclusively by daytrading a losing for me (have "improved" to flat-lining) proposition as sooner or later you will be at mental odds with what that market is doing. You then either, sit aside (smart), churn your account (and mind) down, or find an alternative market you are not fighting mentally. This is the one negative of single instrument trading.. You need multiple systems to trade it for different stages, assuming you are mentally objective always. Mentally, shorting is all I can think of in US indexes... therefore I will wait until there is an established downtrend before touching NQ again.
Flat Euro 1.3351 for +169 That spurt to 1.3378 didn't trigger stop for some reason.. NQ looking like range at best from here..
sorry to change the subject a little, are you using turbo trader web platform or the software, or neither. It looks like it though. I was wondering why you don't use thinkorswim for your futures trading (some of your charts look like they are from thinkorswim). Was thinking about using them as I do stocks as well.
I had been using Turbo trader before I came across TOS (free to TDAmeritrade APEX clients) which is great for charting but commissions not great compared to Global Futures. Have never traded with TOS but it seems quite complex though probably once learned.