return to clockwork

I have strayed. I have looked left and right and seen other traders seemingly making more money. I ignored clockwork trading rules this week to try to make more. I had a red week.

Today I closed the overnight hold of LEN for a little more gains. Lost huge on MRVL. Won big on U. Net red day.

I think partly I've let myself get obsessed with https://www.instagram.com/raketrades/ who trades a similar style to me but somehow manages to get outrageous gains. I keep thinking I'm going to do that too... not all the time, just on the real great setups. (Maybe I need to go further otm to get the returns he gets.) MOST OF ALL, I need to stick to MY style. The style that suits me and makes me money. 

This week contrasted with last week (stellar gains), should make it very obvious that I should stay in my lane.

So next week, back to "clockwork trading". Why do I ever stray? That's how I've made the money that I have, why do I try anything else? This refers to trading like clockwork. Systematic picks. Systematic entries. Systematic trade management. This is my thing. I'm going to make my money my way, in my time. 

-small position size to reduce emotional decision making

-tight stop is the right stop

-pay myself first (take profits along the way)

-zigs no zags. I need to trade the one power surge of the move and then go enjoy the rest of my day.

I need to remind myself of this more. 

I won't get rich quickly, but I might get rich slowly.

will I never learn?

Psychologically toxic day for me today.

Main trade was LEN. Breakout to ath on earnings. I waited for the sellers to clear (should there have been sellers?) then bought, and added out of the consolidation. Should the open have been so cumbersome on new ath? after a daily pullback and consolidation (cup/handle type situation)? The volume was there. 

So whatever. I got in, took far less than half off for stellar gains, but not before enduring a pullback to my ~breakeven/vwap. Should that have happened? Why wasn't I asking myself, "is this what an incredibly strong breakout looks like?" [NO!] That should have told me to capture much more gains there when I did.

Then I f'ing sat in it all day long. Going pretty deep red, then it couldn't cross 120 in the afternoon... is that the behavior of an incredibly strong breakout? [NO!]

And then, for the... why? ... I took a tiny position home overnight. For tomorrow's expiration... Why? It's just AT the money and it it currently at the close tonight about 1% in the red (flat) so tomorrow barring a big move into the money, these go to zero. 

One of the most frustrating parts is that the market defied all laws of gravity. The market is sooo extended, but look at SPY nonstop uptrend all day. While this fker just grinded. 

Good luck tomorrow to save my week which is currently red.

not a day to press

 Today was not a day to press. Market is extended. Indexes didn't trend. I tried to press. Red day.

The second try in CRWD was punishment I deserved. When I stopped the first half, I briefly thought to flip short (failed breakout). But instead of short, or just passing, I did this asinine thing. Waste of money.

surprise great day

 This morning while prepping, I realized I needed to help my parents and wouldn't really be able to trade the open.

I did a literal hit and run on COIN, in 5 min made a decent gain on COIN and then tore myself away. 

By the time I got back home it was after 2:30. Picked through the rvol screener and tried NVDA (which worked later) and TSLA (which didn't give either direction particularly).

QQQ caught my eye as making new high and I was able to catch SPY making ndh and move above yesterday high for continuation. Took 1dte, esp since it was already 2:45. Raked it in!