Robert Carrillo 

As a reader who spent many of the Fri and Sat nights of his youth in N. Dallas, cruising Greenville Ave and racing between stop lights on Forest Ln (until that last "Contest of Speed" thing...), I can appreciate what spending some wheel time in that town can do for your mental and emotional well being.

Wow! You've made me recall memories that I hadn't thought of in years! I was stunned when I read this! Small world?

Every weekend we would head down to Forest Ln in my blue '71 GTO. Damn, I just shake my head at the stuff I was doing then...and how long ago that was. Probably saw you there!

Robert Carrillo 

Casual observation and for what it's worth, but are you having fun? It seems that the thrill is gone since Phase 2 began. Yes, it's your livelihood and a serious matter, but if you aren't sitting down at the computer with a smile on your face, what's the point? I could be way off, and if so I apologize.

No. You're right. I appreciate your insight. I've been feeling it and I realize that I need to take a step back and get some clarity.

I really appreciate the comments @Robert Carrillo .

-AT

Had work come in (a good thing!) so I'm running late posting today.

This morning (after one random trade) I went all the way back to the method I started this whole exercise with and took two trades in the ES (sim) - both winners.

I have to do some thinking about how I'm going to proceed from here, because I'm seeing some issues with the way I've handled things in "Phase 2." I'll try to talk about it this weekend, but I'll be working so I won't be able to get to it until later than usual.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

[img]https://nexusfi.com/v/snx9sm.png[/img]

Robert Carrillo 

As a reader who spent many of the Fri and Sat nights of his youth in N. Dallas, cruising Greenville Ave and racing between stop lights on Forest Ln (until that last "Contest of Speed" thing...), I can appreciate what spending some wheel time in that town can do for your mental and emotional well being.

How funny, I use to race my 99 Cobra and SS there until it was getting so out of control they were following us with helicopters. That was roughly 13-14 years ago.

Mike

AttitudeTrader 

Wow! You've made me recall memories that I hadn't thought of in years! I was stunned when I read this! Small world? Every weekend we would head down to Forest Ln in my blue '71 GTO. Damn, I just shake my head at the stuff I was doing then...and how long ago that was. Probably saw you there!

Big Mike 

How funny, I use to race my 99 Cobra and SS there until it was getting so out of control they were following us with helicopters. That was roughly 13-14 years ago.

That's hilarious! I had a 70 Buick GS 450 Stage 1. Gawd I miss that car. Selling for a ton on Barrett Jackson auctions! Late 70's is when I rolled (76 grad JJ Pearce HS). Never guess what I found, and I hope you guys forgive my derailment of your thread AT. Probably somebody I know in this!

Have a great weekend everybody!

How cool is that. The first car I raced was my 91 GT with GT40 upper and lower, stage 1 heads, custom cam and dumped exhaust.

Should start a cars thread in off topic

Sent from my Nexus 4

Robert Carrillo 

That's hilarious! I had a 70 Buick GS 450 Stage 1. Gawd I miss that car. Selling for a ton on Barrett Jackson auctions! Late 70's is when I rolled (76 grad JJ Pearce HS). Never guess what I found, and I hope you guys forgive my derailment of your thread AT.

Big Mike 

How cool is that. The first car I raced was my 91 GT with GT40 upper and lower, stage 1 heads, custom cam and dumped exhaust.

@Robert Carrillo , that clip is priceless! It looks like you were there a little before my time, and @Big Mike, looks like you were there a while after my time. I graduated Plano Senior High in '82. That was the last year for only one high school in Plano (one of the largest graduating classes in the country I believe). Plano East opened the next year and my youngest brother started there. Big rivalry between Plano Senior and JJ Pearce back then!

The beginning of that clip reminds me of how much time I spent on bikes too. My last one was a crotch rocket that I slid underneath a stopped car...have a few scars from that one.

Thanks for the memories guys!

-AT

No stats for this edition of Weekend Review and Stats - just review and taking a few steps back.

As I said on Friday, I had some work come in, which is a good thing, so I worked all day (8am-8pm) yesterday (Saturday) getting it all finished, because there's nothing more critical to me right now than that. It also freed up my day today to take care of other things and to contemplate my current status with regard to my trading.

I realize that I've tried to push my development too far, too fast, and I've gotten lost. And I'm doing that because of what I feel I need from my trading rather than giving myself the time necessary to go through the learning process. I think this is a big part of where I've had trouble before, and the cause of the cycle of frustration that I've gone through in the past.

So I've begun developing a plan for getting my head in the right place about my trading (specifically accepting the process of learning that I need to go through) and the life that surrounds my trading. I need to get back to "knowing my place" with regard not only to my trading but to my life as it currently is.

In the meantime I will be staying in Phase 2 (learning to deal with being wrong and missing out), but I'm basically going to start it over again. As I did before, I'll be taking my simple original method and tweaking it a bit to allow for a little more subjective decision-making, which will give me a familiar framework to work with again.

[img]https://nexusfi.com/v/erucqz.jpg[/img]

However, this time I will be putting more emphasis on getting my act together in the other areas of my life, so I can give myself the time that's going to be necessary in order to learn the skills I need to be successful. My militaristic mode will be in effect as much as ever, because it's going to take focus, discipline, and a strong will to move through this.

Right now I'm not going to try to figure out what's the best market for me to trade, or what's the best way for me to trade. I'm simply going to get back to being extremely consistent with my simple approach so I can begin the learning process again.

Impatience continues to be a major enemy in this whole process...

Mission Plan: In development.
Theater of Operation: Echo Sierra Mike Three

Trade #305
08:42 Long. Trade was based on watching NQ - not a good idea.
08:44 Stopped out. -5 ticks.

Trade #306
08:57 Short.
08:59 Stopped out. -5 ticks.

Trade #307
09:09 Long.
09:17 Target reached. +9 ticks.

Trade #308
09:26 Long.
09:34 Target reached. +9 ticks.

Trade #309
10:29 Long.
10:32 Stopped out. -5 ticks.

Trade #310
10:32 Long.
10:36 Target reached. +10 ticks.

AAR

Objective: Develop a mission plan that I can begin executing consistently again.
-
Outcome: I had a profitable (sim) day and got a little clearer about how I want to proceed.
-
Observations: The majority of my trades were based on what I was observing from my charts and indicators rather than a specific "setup" like I was using before. I traded in a more "fluid" way today.
-
I think it's going to be important to start working this way because the market is so fluid and just isn't going to behave in a way that is going to adhere to a strict set of mechanical rules like I was trying to develop before. I'm going to have to get comfortable with the fact that I have to learn how to trade rather than trying to make a "system" that's just going to generate never-ending profits. Even though that wasn't my intent, I think that's what I was unknowingly trying to do.
-
This also means that I'm going to have to develop a way to be consistent despite not having a strict set of entry/exit parameters to follow - at least for the time being.
-
I'll just have to see how this goes...

[img]https://nexusfi.com/v/vy9yt9.png[/img]
[img]https://nexusfi.com/v/kf8akr.png[/img]

Mission Plan: In development.
Theater of Operation: Echo Sierra Mike Three

Pre-Mission Prep
08:10 Going through checklist...Starting pre-mission prep...

SitRep
08:20 ES is at 50% of yesterday's RTH range.

Trade #311
08:36 Long: Pullback then Hammer Doji in SPADD*, pullback to zero in TICK, pullback on ES charts in general uptrend.
08:36 Target reached. +7 ticks. Didn't even have a chance to adjust target if I had wanted to.
Shake head, forget this trade, and get mind clear so I can recognize another potential opportunity.

Trade #312
09:09 Short: Up-spike in TICK, pullback in SPADD, ES test of HOD but hesitation, CCI divergence.
09:12 Stopped out. -5 ticks.
Stopped out to the tick on this one.
Shake head, forget this trade, and get mind clear so I can recognize another potential opportunity.

Trade #313
09:12 Short: Same reasons as Trade #312. I believe this situation is still valid and represents an opportunity - I need to take it again.
09:19 Target reached. +11 ticks.

Mission complete. RTB for AAR.
10:30 At this point I don't have a specific set of rules for daily profits per se, but I'm happy with my profits for today and I have to leave early for my other work, so I'm finished for the day.

AAR

• Objective: Continue to develop my style of trading and a structure to guide my behavior.
  -
• Outcome: As I did yesterday, I traded in a more fluid way today. I'm basing my decisions on a combination of what my charts, indicators, and indices are doing.
  -
• Observations: I'm finding it interesting that after I've basically decided that price is at a good place to enter, there is still a little something "extra" going on in my head saying that I need to take the entry. Not sure if it's just wishing or my imagination, but I'll pay attention to see if it means anything.
  -
  I also find it interesting how deliberate I have to be at constantly clearing my mind of random thoughts and refocusing back on what's happening on my screens. Today I've literally had to shake my head and blink my eyes - multiple times - to get clear again.

[img]https://nexusfi.com/v/ht66vy.png[/img]
[img]https://nexusfi.com/v/x3r6nj.png[/img]

*This is an S&P breadth (net issues) instrument I created using IQFeed symbol JI6T.Z.

I've been vacillating quite a bit lately (obviously) about how I think I should move forward from here.

After chatting with a trading friend today, another drive around town, and some contemplation, I've made enough general decisions to start moving in one direction rather than being all over the place.

I have some work to do...