Interesting post. I used to feel this way, but I realized I was placing stops in predictable places, such as near high or low of the day (often tested, surged through, then sharply reversed, unless continuing a trend), or near minor or major S/R levels. The best advice posted here is trade smaller with wider stops to allow room for shakeouts, since you believe your indicators for trade entry are solid. You might try smaller size, wider stop during volatile periods, or for anything less than your highest probability setup. Then save larger size for the highest probability setups, and use a tighter stop, because a high probability setup should go your way quickly.
It's because a lot of daytraders are jumping back into the market, so the price action is trading accordingly. You have to trade like a predator, not a daytrader. Know where the stops will be run, see the short term squeezes. Unless you're holding for a longer term ride, you have to be a predator, not trade like prey.
Persist, you are probably very close to a breakthrough. If your system has probability in its favour, you will prevail. If you are as close as you say you are, and it sounds like you are, you pretty much have it solved.
Some good advice. The answer may be to quit sneaking my stop up too soon. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has been stopped out at the HOD or LOD tick. I try not to take those trades any more. Even if I can see it comimg they always seemed to have one more thrust before I was right.
Whatever you do, the market will from time to time take out your stop on the exact high or low. The real problem for you is if you start thinking that the market is after you. Nevertheless, it is really frustrating to watch that happen.
"It was never the thinking that made the money, it was always the sitting and waiting that made the money." --Jesse Livermore. More quotes by Jesse Livermore: http://www.leavittbrothers.com/chartspeak/ChartSpeak_031206.pdf +-*/ Math_Wiz
You may already know this, but you need to stop saying these things as soon as possible. If you say something to yourself over and over again, it can seriously affect your judgment. I'm not saying stops aren't run and that games aren't played in individual stocks. I'm saying that all of the above is making excuses for your bad trading. You are looking for reason outside of yourself to explain what's going on. In your case, you believe it's 'the market' that is causing your losses. It isn't. It's clear that the majority of people look outside of themselves to explain their outcomes. This is why they mostly fail, not only in trading but in other ventures. Hope you understand where I'm coming from.
TraderNik, Yeah, it was more a "ghost in the machine" rant. Some days I just need to wrap it into a conspiracy theory and spit it out. ; Wiz, I like Jesse's quotes. Too bad he died broke.