Just a Day Trader

 Without a doubt, my focus needs to be on compliance. I look back at all my stats, every poor week is low compliance. Every good week is high compliance. Especially with market conditions like these, I need more reasons to avoid trades rather than take them.  I have been slipping a lot lately, and recently seem to have figured myself out and my trading, to have a solid foundation to trade upon. I call it the big 3. Selection. Risk.  Management. The problem, is how can I stay compliant in all these areas? These are my big 3 because they have been the source of my trading issues and reasons I lose the most money. These are where I make the majority of my trading errors.  My problem with selection was taking lesser trades. What makes them lesser? I had to look back at my wins and compare what was in common. I came down to laziness. Not caring what I was trading. Trading for the sake of action.  It was real bad because I would sit there and clearly know that I shoul...

 Not a pretty looking day. That big failure to move forwards last week really settling in now as were all bailing. Gapping down a lot, setups clear short. Dont have many though, still a lot of MA coils to get under and ranges to break lower. Id like to say we buy the dip here, but dont see any good spots to do it from now for quite a ways lower we will just have to wait and see.  Watchlist small, no need to chase. Best setups will come to me and if they dont, then so be it.  1. Cut losers fast. 2. Correct size on all entries to match wanted risk.  3. Trade best scalps, not just any.  AMD BA CSIQ DIS KOD DXCM H MAR ARRY  SPY  reversal, no go DIS scalp at lod + HTF bo level, no go. Really nothing at all today. Big sell off, I was not chasing the gap lower. Never saw anything today big picture wise. Just more rough action. Not much to see or trade. Need to take it slow until things become clear, no need to chase. 

 Well the gap down really killed the chance for the long at the moment. Looked like we may recover for a moment, then didnt, then the collapse came. Wasnt able to capture it.  Moving forward, I dont know what to expect. I dont think well see more selling off, were still stuck in the down channel possibly handle. Until we can get back above 343 I have to think itll be a choppy market for a while. Dont have much planned today, not going to be easy to see clear trends out there. Some still existing, but the power of them probably wont be as strong as it used too until market also sees some recovery. Looking at some gappers again, sticking with volume. Will continue to scalp as I have been, if big picture shows up, I will be more than happy to take it. 1. Trade small. Market is ugly, no need to force anything. 2. Scalps are working still, take the best ones and leave quickly. 3. Cut losers fast. 4. 100% Compliance. Selection. Risk. Management.  5. Walk away when necessary. 2s...

 Coming off an ok week. SPY gapping down pretty good, a lot more than expected and thats not a good thing. Lots of defense supporting 343 and now gapping under, Im thinking we buy this dip again and rip it back to above, but if we dont, theres going to be a lot of longs involved not happy. Short may be here.  I had mainly a few longs planned, but with the gap well see what happens. See which names remain the strongest. Not really sure what to expect today but am expecting a good move some direction.  Goals for this week are  -Cut losers faster. Do not hold the adds to wait and see. They are not core positions.  -90%+ Compliance. No excuses. Selection. Risk. Management.  -Do better with walking away when I need to. -Scalp more. Worked well, why not continue it.  -Keep big picture in mind. Take the trade at the open if it is blasting through levels. 2Star SPY QQQ DKNG WW DXCM EMN EXPI RAD PK LYV MAR RRGB AMD big rip, nice reversal setup, quick scalp no g...

 The beginning of the week I had had enough. Monday started off as another day of good trading to start, then gave it all away and then some on sized up setups and trades I didnt need to be in.  I finally caved and wrote my trade entry checklist. It covers what I need to see before hand to decide if I need to be in the trade or not, and covers $$risk depending on circumstances.  -BIG PICTURE TRADES Is it on the correct side of HTF level/zone? Is market not hurting? Volume cues? Above/below VWAP? Do I have 5/7?   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^if any are a NO, then I do not have a trade   Is it 1/2/3star? Where is my stop for my core       -size accordingly with room for chop. If trade work immediately, where is stop for adds?      -size accordingly with extra tick to account for slippage. Double position size, then add same lot   -REVERSALS Is it over extended? Is it para/capitulation volum...

 Big issue yesterday was size. Had a lot of small scalp wins which is great, then started ignoring rules, sized up, took lesser setups. And gave back whole day and then some just because I wanted to trade. I got lazy and didnt check myself. Every time I get up and do well, I cant get lazy and ignore things.  I need to keep my emotions in check. I need to find a better way to stop myself before I keep going at it. p/l is the obvious choice. I was up 400$ and dropped it down to 0. Thats the stopping point. At the point I need to ask what the hell am I doing. Why am I giving everything back. If its on good setups and I just got screwed, so be it. But yesterday was not. It was on garbage that I sized up on, and didnt cut fast enough.  Things were moving well and I was on edge ready to go. Took a lot of trades, followed by a lot more, followed by more because I was now losing and wanted it back and saw all these moving names so clearly I must trade more.  I while back I m...

 Market is super tight. I see it going both ways. We had big sells on big runners yesterday, but also a lot of strong looking breakouts forming.  SPY around 343 is going to be huge, we had a flush after hours yesterday and have since recovered it and building just under 343. Cant quite get above it going into the open. I have no problem with the short but would rather see the long play out. Shaping up to be a very eventful day. Today is the day to step on the gas if its there. 1. Follow all entry rules. 2. Proper size on each. 3. Cut losses fast. 4. Use correct stop on adds. Deal with tiny loss to keep potential for big win on board. 3star ATVI M 2star SPY TSLA COST SPOT PYPL MGM CNK VRM TSLA quick scalp bo at open, quick win. Clear tape. -------------------------- Anoth one later in day as market recovered clear breakout curling up pattern with vol. Small win.  M core add on break of prev hi and add sclps. Scalp couldnt bust out through HTF bo level but holding core. Tur...

 Markets getting tight from a range within a range. Looking likely to make a break one direction or the other. Im thinking upside has the best potential as long as we keep holding 343 like we have been. Might see a good move today. My trading was great yesterday. 100% compliance, scalped well, avoided big picture ideas becuase none set up the way I wanted. No stress. Today might be same case we will see. 1. I have to stop taking trades that do not match my entry criteria. 2. I must size appropriately and manage risk 3. I have to cut my losers faster. Goal is 100% compliance SQ reversal trade, no go. FSLY scalp reversal, no go again, good adds good cues, cant get quick follow through, snall win.  CGC Pot stocks ripping, got to new highs and breakouts, tested under vwap and saw big bid, in and ticks up.  Ran into hidden sell, all out for small loss to start.  There is good tape and buying here. Re entry is here. Market strong. Got re entry and adds to scalp, cant just ...

 What is hurting my trading the most? -Too big of size taking large losses when they should be much smaller.  -Taking trades that do not fit entry criteria. -Not exiting losses faster I have become so lazy in my trading. Simply not caring, and trading just because I feel like it. I need better guidelines to protect me from myself, even still.  I give myself all these rules but what the point if I dont follow them. I have no accountability for my actions. I need to be questioning myself before every single trade. I do have the time to do it, but I dont.  I need a better entry checklist. An entry guideline. I will have it open all day, and before every trade I will run myself through it.  Ok I have made it. I have clear rules that tell me if I need to take the trade or avoid it. Included stop placement, and size.  The goal today. Is 100% compliance. Entry, risk, management.  -Every trade I take, should meet my entry criteria -My size should reflect the m...

 Fridays close was pretty ugly, sold off hard to end the week but remained above prev week close. Bulls still have edge, but were getting into choppy territory. Really not sure what to expect going forward from here so that means I need to be playing it super safe. Taking only clean and clear and making sure im not fighting market conditions.  A decent number on the watchlist. Nothing overwhelming. Some gappers, beatdowns looking very tight ready to pop. For other beta names, not sure what to expect from here. If market isnt going to be breaking and trending higher then ill expect chop in there too. 3star LUV PLAY GOGO 2star DKNG PFE PTON TTWO OSTK ULTA ABT OSUE CRSR 1star APPS GOGO solid open and tape with vol, got late starter and added  Didnt follow through well at all, tiny scalp win on adds, came back to entry on starter and all out for moment. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Not clean or easy to see, doesnt feel right to take it yet...

 Slow day today. SPY recovered well from the lows, maybe we keep pulling back up to retest mid 349s and then 352. Long is back on for moment. Gapping up a bit near the highs and pmkt trend is up.  Really dont have much to watch today. I want to work on my process today and stats for better review on compliance. The ones I do have look pretty good though today. PENN FUTU JKS SPCE NVAX RRGB CMPS CIT PENN starter on huge bid showing at failed LOD push add as we spike. All cues great here.  Push into vwap.  Saw hidden sell above. Tried to get out for win, no fill ended up with loss on adds. Holding core still looking to add if repeat lower.  Crashed lower out core. Will have to reset. small L.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lost it good, but came right back above vwap and HTF zones with great vol and buying, will wait on retest for re long.  CMPS low vol trader. Clear tape here. In on whole number break, added wi...

 Market pulling down now. We got a long ways to go before I think well settle for a clear bottom. Gapping down pretty good into retest 343 area which may be the spot to hold. In fact should really be the spot to hold if we want higher still. And I think we should, were getting here so fast already.  Not sure what to expect today. Market pulling down and a lot of FANG breakouts never got that far. Not looking to long them anymore, instead im looking at reversals on names that have been very extended for a week or so now. With market entering range mode, going to have to be super patient in waiting for a good setup. Scalps seem likely in this market but big picture ideas can still come through.  SPAQ Weak open into prev hi, saw huge offers but we took them all, when we got above that was my in.  Good adds with tape, but slowed down quick into vwap, out the adds, holding core.  Down to lod and prev hi again, huge offers showing again. But low vol and not getting to...

 Trend up continues, had a slight settle day yesterday pulled down a bit. Really slowed some names down, gave others a chance to get even tighter. Some pullbacks now look to turn higher. Still some good looking setups out there.  Wouldnt be surprising to see us getting range bound here, we shot up pretty quick, might take another day to contract before expanding again. All trades on watch are longs so dont want to see us pulling down any more but isnt impossible to happen.  Didnt take a thing yesterday. Nothing look good enough, no scalps, no reversals. Pretty quiet day. Today not looking like that. Must be patient and stay on my A game. Wait for it to come to me and follow my rules.  3star TTWO ALXN CELH 2star NFLX TSLA ATVI PFE TDOC ZM GRWG LVGO SPCE DAD ZI CVAV SNOW GS CMPS BA CELH Only name really held at open, started spiking, didnt get fill, hoping for pb to get in better price.  SRNE Tried reversal. No go, got out then went higher without me.  ULTA h...

 Market is breaking out, but we got some ugly structure. Wouldnt surprise me to see us go parabolic into new ATH. Really dont have much to look at today. Most names already broke higher and much too far too fast already. Just tryign to catch the laggards if we continue to have strength to see them make a move. My trading was good yesterday. Could have been fast to exit in my losses, but good re entry, good adds, good profit taking, and caught a solid win.  Take it slow today, no reason to force anything. Best trades come to me 3star TTWO 2star TSLA ROKU SHOP JKS VRTX GS MRNA BTAI ATVI BIDU ALT Not a thing today. Very dull.

 Coming off a rough patch in my trading. I didnt do a weekly review. To sum up what it would have said, "follow your rules.' I cant stop making mistakes. Pushing too much size, revenge trading. Settling for less. Abandoning my plan just because im frustrated and down money. Not getting back in. Its the works again. I took the time over the weekend to work on my process. I have it down in writing. Its a 4 page plan that covers all aspects of what I need to do for each and every trade. From before entry to after exit its all covered. The only thing left to do is follow it. Win or lose, as long as I follow my plan I am fine. Market is gapping up big today. Putting a few of my setups out well out of range will have to wait a while on them. But for others, still under the prev hi and bo levels and looking to get above. Should have plenty to do today. Not too much though. We look ready to continue our uptrend again.  2star AAPL TSLA WKHS WMT ZM AVGO CELH EMN SPAQ PYPL RRGB CGC NFLX ...

 Clear edge to the bulls. We got above 343 and held all day. Now gapping up more above yest hi. May be on low vol, but cant deny every stock out there looking strong, ready to turn, parabolic, coiled MAs under. We look great for more upside. Problems will be big though if we cant hold things here. Have a lot on watch today. A lot of really good looking setups out there. Some reversals off of names that have gone straight up for a couple weeks now. Huge vol doji candles but well see if the sell comes or if we have more in them. Lots of big range breakouts and trendline breaks. Big turning point in the market we shall see. Problem yesterday is myself. Discipline. I need the discipline to follow my rules. When I dont, I lose money. And more money than I should. Grinded back half the day later on on setups that came to me. And that always needs to be my goal is to let the market come to me and trade my setups with appropriate risk from there. 3star LLY COHN 2star MSFT ROKU BYND CHWY PT...

 Not a lot to watch today, but all that I do are very good looking. SPY back up to top of range around 343, will be v important for us to get and hold above for bull market to continue. Weve coiled now for a week or so and now look to break. I will say we had super low vol yesterday so not exactly A grade breakout material, but price action looking v bullish today.  Airlines back in play. Most of them in contact with top TL from triangles, MAs under price, looks ready to explode. Some beat downs as well. Sad thing is pmkt already making these moves so again weve got a scenario where price gets away from us at the open, ruining the potential breakout as well more than likely pull back at the open to test these levels for a few hours and maybe a late day recovery. Hoping some dont make those moves quite yet.  Trading yesterday was fine. I did skip some trades because I wasnt comfortable taking the trades that hadnt pulled in deep enough for a reset. It does seem to be that ...