July Update Took hits doing things that are not aligned with how I trade. Scaling back trading for the next bit. I've dedicated a lot of hours each day to trading and long term, it is not ideal. Dedicating time to a business startup, which is more aligned with my passion. Ideally I am active in the markets when there is a clear edge, and only then.
August Report It took close to 2 weeks before I felt like doing much in the markets. Mix in travel and quarantine into the equation. I'm back to trading regularly, trading as much as I can within the scope of my parameters. Any time I deviate, it does not end well. My day job has ramped up where I have to dedicate more time, which is fine as it is likely short term (1-2 months). Overall, clearer grasp of the markets. Had to filter out a lot of noise, which is always a battle. One thing I'll do, is narrate my trades, as though explaining to someone. This seems quite useful. You are explaining with rationale why in the trade and what observations you are making. Sept and rest of the year, am looking for consistency.
September Update I paid my tithes to the fee gods this past month. I'm switching things up. Focus more on swings for now. Looking at this bigger picture, it takes quite a bit of screen time to generate the revenues. If I can finess the swings, it will mean a lot less stress. I was considering switching platforms, which in itself caused a big distraction. One glaring error I did, was average down on a trade. It would have made a pretty significant difference to the month not doing that. Besides that, my eternal struggle with distraction. I have gotten rid of a monitor, and focus more on 1-2 symbols and less 'noise'. Got my second vax dose yesterday. What a bad trade that is ~ Somehow I've gotten into the monthly routine of posting here at ET. It does help to review and do an overview, even if a lot of it may seem a little generic or vague. Here's to hoping that Q4 be a good one!
Trust me when I say that while there will not be as much stress and frustration in your face like a Jolt-Cola mixed with a Starbuck latte', there will be stress and a more insidious form of it. The kind that lingers like a growing cancer that eats away at you while only vaguely aware of the sensation.
Appreciate the insight Overnight and themickey October update Red month. It wasn't crazy and I know exactly what went wrong. Zero focus, little preparation. I realized that back to back red months are pretty small, I could outpace them in one trade. Now that I have a mountain of distraction out of the way, I can be much more diligent Nov/Dec to close out the year. Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. Speaking of swings, I botched TSLA at 800. Look at it go.
November Update Green Month Able to fully erase the last couple months and finish beyond my goal for the month. Took on more risk than I would have liked. The bulk of the gains came from several trades in GME which is not a stock I typically trade. I am more selective about my trading, taking size when the setup seems very high probability. TSLA I have not been able to capture the moves like I would like. There were certainly some massive swings in that one. Missed a few days of trading due to illness and travel. Looking forward to first 3 weeks of December. Scheduled off last week for a vacation. The basic successfully actions: Prepared each day Increased hours exposed to the markets Less noise - 1 laptop and 1 monitor Not being concerned whether I trade for the day
December Update Green Month I just squeaked past a goal I had set for the month. More than anything, looking for better consistency. My trading I feel is maturing where I can really developing the ability to sit and wait for better setups. I am taking size when I feel the edge is in my favor. As I review the year, boy am I glad the year is done. 5 red months is completely unacceptable. Granted, work was my main priority and that at times took up way more time than I would have liked. I've gotten it to a point now where 2022 it *should* be under control timewise. I've invested heavily in learning over 2021 and developing efficiencies, so that going forward, significantly less time will be required. Outside of monetary, my simple objective in 2022 is to have all green months. 2021 I was forever looking at systems and scanners and platforms. My setup now is quite basic. Ideally I keep things pretty much as they are. I'm also aiming to grow my account, because a bigger account means more buying power, and that is something I need in order to scale.