I started last week off ok, until Tuesday night. For some stupid reason I thought lets break my rules stop doing what worked for the past month (avoiding after hours)

So around 10pm I was caught up in the possibility of a volatile market after the state of the union. I was wrong. Ended up tapping out around midnight , RED. Of course had I waited until 2am est if my account would of survived, I would of repaired the damage from the previous week. As I was almost halfway back to 1500pts. But wasn't level headed in chop city.
Welp greed , revenge & karma clouded my judgement the rest of Wednesday. By about 10:30am I had blown my funded account on my 20th trading day. To add insult to injury it was my first day of the 2nd month of data fees to leeloo lol. Their customer service basically sent me wine , cheese & a tiny violin emojis. Oh well worth a shot for promo code or something.

Now I'm trying their express funded for the first time. Holy crap the double edge of playing with ridiculous size. Its been interesting. I'm itching to put my own money back in but waiting on a few variables before I'm comfortable with that again.

Now that I've burned myself yet again in the after hours session. I will definitely be treating my "business" like its bank hours or nothing. No need to walk around in the dark alley of the NQs looking for a sale.

This week I will follow my key times plan & stick to my process of simming to get in a scalping rhythm before "real" prop trades. Taking breaks after certain W/L tiers to clear my mind

RogueJoules 

I started last week off ok, until Tuesday night. For some stupid reason I thought lets break my rules stop doing what worked for the past month (avoiding after hours) So around 10pm I was caught up in the possibility of a volatile market after the state of the union. I was wrong. Ended up tapping out around midnight , RED. Of course had I waited until 2am est if my account would of survived, I would of repaired the damage from the previous week. ... This week I will follow my key times plan & stick to my process of simming to get in a scalping rhythm before "real" prop trades. Taking breaks after certain W/L tiers to clear my mind

First, I'm sorry to read about the outcome, but you seem to be taking it as a learning opportunity, so that may be a net positive. Not one to be happy about, necessarily, and I understand that. I've had quite a few of those, and they did teach me something, eventually.

Second, and you may not care about this information because you have sworn off non-regular hours, but the markets have very distinct changes in character at different times during the night and into the day, because different groups of traders get involved based on their own time zones, and it can affect the opportunities you see. The thing to know is that it's not a random chaos, but that it has its own structure, at least sometimes. You may already know all this, but if not, I have observed some fairly reliable features:

Asian traders are generally more active during the early evening in US Eastern Time terms, up to around 2:00 AM ET. Because there's about a 6- or 7-hour time difference between the Eastern US and most of Europe, there is a distinct and reliable increase in trading volume that begins between 2:00 and 3:00 AM ET as they come in. There's a corresponding slump in volume around 11:00 AM as they leave for the day.

So I'm not surprised that you mentioned 2:00 AM in your post. I have attempted (with very poor success, due to the need to sleep ) to wake up in time for that rather reliable change. Quite often, the trends that essentially set the US open price are started then.

The worst time at all to trade the US markets seems to be during the earlier Asian session. I assume they just don't focus on US prices as much.

Sorry to go on about this, especially since you have no interest in trying to trade these market periods, but I thought I would point out that the "after hours" or "off hours" periods have something going on, and sometimes a trader who only wants to trade the US RTH will still benefit from checking on what the Europeans have been doing, as the US open approaches. (And if you already knew all this, well never mind.)

And by all means, good luck with your trading and with your rule-keeping. Sticking to one's rules can be one of the hardest things to do, for everyone, and is usually the most important.

Bob.

Thanks for the wisdom. Yeah I tried to set my alarm for about 2 weeks in 2021 to get up & trade between 3-5am, that stretch when all the big moves had happened before RTH. I also value sleep lol.
You're right, a few others have also pointed out the volume spikes during those key times. Definitely worth reviewing everyday.

Good luck to you as well.

Holy crap crazy sad few weeks over here. The evening of my last post on the 7th we said goodbye to a special rescue doggie that everyone around us was very close to. She was about 12.5 or so.
So I took a day off but ended up quitting the ridiculous Express combines with Leeloo. It was fun to try but was forcing me to change habits in a long term self destructive way. Also my skill set isn't there yet to hit that profit target of 6k in 10 days. Yes I could play with mini's but I've been really good about being disciplined & making that size the forbidden fruit for me until I reach certain goals. So far Ive stayed in my micro lane in 2022.

Not as depressed as the last week or so but I've stopped the combine cycle for now, realizing my mind/heart isn't in it currently along with other priorities that require my focus.
That being said I'm still simming my normal routines & testing tradovate's holy grail of FREE community indicators lol. Playing/studying more orderflow/delta stuff & testing my brackets on Ninja too. Not to mention getting lost in TOS charts. Its like my trading view.

I'm not starting over, just cleaning up my charts. Keeping my scalper template & massaging puzzle pieces into my process to combat my weaker areas that get me into trouble.

Also taking lots of notes for the next stage of learning to lose in order to survive.

If you trade near your pets, learn to listen to them. They are an excellent signal to sit on your hands

Im still flirting with being a paid funded trader. Passed about 10 evals to become "funded" but for obvious reasons I tend to flame out breaking rules (theirs or my rules). The ironic part is since my last post in March I quit trying the express combine of 6k profit target in 10 days with potential for unlimited size with a 100k account. To hey there's another discount why dont we try again? My attempt at deliberate practice. For reference- Peak - Anders Ericsson

So thats where Im at, being disciplined with only touching micros. With regards to any combine I still tend to fight myself and the market trend at times by getting tilted & getting too large. Still working on walking away but really good about leaving at 11am est regardless of performance.
Being aware of this tendency Ive massaged my brackets to trailing breakeven triggers in order to limit my exposure when I do get too aggressive. Depending on if or when I add to a scalp position this helps my base position by taking smaller losses out of my hands when the market is moving too fast for me to manually adjust.

Part of me hates that my current perceived progress(style) is tied to prop firms. With my personal account I don't have the luxury to roll around with any size. Let alone take multiple losses. So being shell shocked with my losses in my personal this is the only way for me to feel the "real"money pressure. Regular Demo in my opinion gives a false sense of security.
On that note that's why I finally secured a legit part time job or 2 for first time since 2020 to help give me fresh eyes & stop feeling like I'm bleeding. But still just as motivated & passionate to improve , grow & flow with the daily trends.

My other takeaway over the last few months is 3 things:
1- Save your CHARTS, went to add something & totally messed my TOS up last week
2- OBS screen recording software is an excellent tool for reviewing your trading behavior. Think out loud if you can!
3- For the love of god! Wait until 9:45!

Finished my day in breakeven territory. Trading my leeloo funded express account, I was officially refunded the express fee too as advertised. Day 4 I went tilty & almost blew it up. Since then Ive been trading very small, quick scalps & remaining disciplined. Today is day 9, I followed my plan , waited 13mins after the open but chose to get too large at around 9:45-9:50. Hit my first loss limit. The next hour I proceeded to climb back for a very small net gain. Which Im happy with as it puts me back to where I was on day 3. Followed my rule of stopping at 11am est.

However on my other sim account I decided to take 1 more trade. Recently Ive noticed some great reversion setups around my kaufman average. Which is great if I acknowledge them! Trading the MNQ still & I blindly ignore the rising TNX & DXY potential signals. & I also ignored that my longer time frame kaufman was now In play. I dont use FIBS but I joke that theyre like my kama fibs.
Writing this down to remind myself that they're always in PLAY even if the breadth seems too high. Its the bleeping whipsaw index!
Attachment 326327

Been a crazy few weeks. I passed the topstep microswing 10k. Opted to stay in a optional funded evaluation phase. As I acknowledged that I needed more time. 6 days later , last monday I self sabotaged. Broke rules , lost funded status. By tuesday morning I almost blew up personal account. Wed- friday I casually traded demo. But was/is at a clear crossroads. The main 2 sources 1+1 = ME. 1 smartphone hotspot since july making me question my progress of the previous 6 months & basically throwing my patience out the win.
From 2021 last august post, Approximately 8 months into futures life & barely crawling thru the pain trains

Yikes! 1 year later , bigger funded account. Lasted longer but Same month , same blowup song & dance. I remember some guys saying they used to avoid Wednesdays... Im beginning to see why some plan to take the whole summer off or maybe just August for me. My crash started last tuesday. I over traded to barely get green. Then wed , thurs & friday I ignored that major red flag of changing loss limits & stops that occurred on Tuesday & just continued a textbook tilt hole that was damn near impossible to recover from. Like a lot of traders whether I kept my size small or not it seemed like last week the algos were relentlessly hunting those of us that got sloppy & impatient with previous price action rhythm. So once again Ive ignored rules, experienced the unfortunate revelation of pushing myself into a large loss on 1 day & now seeing the benefit of just taking a long weekend to get my head right & sit on my hands. Sure I wasted $93 of data fees in a four day tilt fest but what really stings is the 10 combine days & 17 days of masquerading as a funded trader. Went from trading confidently to trading blind & scared; focusing on the wrong details. Instead of that present moment. So I guess the best thing to do now is acknowledge where I went off the rails, address that behavior when it inevitably occurs. Rebuild confidence to fit the current environment & not force trades. I have felt like an idiot many times on this adventure. But last week needs to be my futures frying pan moment to learn from. The market can take whatever it wants if you don't protect it. ie confidence. I may never master this but I will be better off after these lessons. No pain no gain as they say. I got my angry run out last week, redlined my heart nicely. Now to be slow & methodical like a marathoner

My first step to fix this is to track my number of trades. I used to believe $100 in micro fees is plenty to hit a daily goal. Well that maybe true for some but thats still inviting quantity over quality.
Right now for me on this journey , quality = survivability.

2023 Update! 09/2022 I started a new union type job with possibility of earning a pension if the world doesn't fall part completely. On one hand its given me some much needed time away from the market. On the other I'm back to forcing trades as I currently only have Tuesday & Wednesday to trade the opening 2hrs of "my prime-time." Ive been funded a bunch more times but then continue to self sabotage for various reasons (Size & or fighting trends). I have a picture from today but its indeed a stupid victory lap. Today the action called for a short bias at times. However there are days where my blinders are up & I ignore the signals to go long. Then I look at my trades afterwards & see Im short heavy. When its clear as the sky is blue I should have been long.

Among other things on this journey I've noticed anytime I mention a "good trading day/week" to my family its my new signal to just stop trading for the next day or week. It sucks but I over analyze or contradict myself within the next 24hrs; usually lose focus & discipline momentum. So like a previous side hustle I used to have it will not be mentioned in order maintain as much control over myself as possible.
Hence no picture victory lap here.

Side note for those of us connected to rithmic, use risk management feature & setup multiple criteria option. Set loss limit & a profit limit. I now have 3 profit goals each day. I hit step 1, bump it up X3 for step 2 & step 3 I double the goal of step 2. After that I shut it down. Each time I have to set the limit. But it enables me to take a break & refocus.

I still focus on micros but depending on price action , my trade entry & confidence with a setup Ill open 1-2 mini contracts usually with tight targets but occasionally I have runner ready. But otherwise very selective with mini NQ trades. So far its been a nice add on to my tool box while operating only 2 days a week.

Welp still fighting myself 6 months later. Getting funded is easier but staying funded is my problem. Risk management strikes again. On the plus side my new schedule allows me to trade in the mornings. Which is great as my "edge" is basically targeting a 45min block after the open. When I'm disciplined its after 9:45, lately its been around 10am est when I'm doing scalps.

I had a brief phase a month or 2 ago where I tinkered with the cult of fibs. It is a great tool to use however it doesn't fit my style. Still primarily working off of 5m , 1m , 2000T & 500T charts to engage in my setups.
I used to see it as riding a wave but since I'm somewhat self taught using BBs & keltner channels; no texas hold'em pun intended but its 100% a river to me lol. Just in my pontoon boat trying to catch bigger fish off guard as the current changes within the depths of my bands. Amazingly it keeps flowing north!

My other realizations over the past few months, regardless of whats going on with the FED speakers- I cannot trade Wednesdays at all. Like a new sad rule for me. I'll place 1 trade just to make that day count with a prop firm. But anything else is forbidden. Reviewing my days since the fall of 2022, Wednesday losses were like double compared to all other days combined. Not sure if it was partially my old work schedule but either way its not acceptable if this is going to be a second source of income for me.

Trading with my beloved MNQ still hunting for a stop loss limit I'm comfortable with, I know I need to tighten it up but ultimately its my next goal to conquer in order to succeed at this. As I'm certain being a funded trader with wide stops is a path to account death if I don't properly manage my daily risk.

Side note Im in a few FB prop firm groups mainly for promo codes but every day these buffoons make me wanna gouge my eyeballs out. I'd share my thoughts there but ultimately IMO its the wrong type of noise. If I want constructive feedback Ill seek it out where I'm certain most of the users are smart enough to use search tools & serious about this journey. So needless to say I keep those groups muted so my jealousy/ insecure cynical side isn't being triggered every day from the trade copier photoshop P/L posts. You know the usual lambo vibes.

This rant certainly triggered my superstitions, so I should probably hunker down & lock myself out of my accounts

Hi, @RogueJoules, thank you for sharing your experiences and "struggle" in trading. You are not alone in this "struggle." It is more common than you think and a stumbling block for many. I have allowed myself to give my opinion on this. I hope you don't mind.

Firstly, it's good, very good, that you engage in self-reflection. However, the decisions you make are not well-focused. You always go in the same direction. You try to overwrite your actions. If you overtrade, you decide not to overtrade. If you lose more than what you consider acceptable on a particular day, you decide not to trade. My observation from the outside is that you are trying to limit and control yourself consciously. That is a significant mental effort and consumes a lot of energy resources. Your mind doesn't have enough energy to sustain those conscious actions, and that's why you relapse. Your subconscious programs take control. Less energy. The problem is that those programs don't help you achieve what you want. They sabotage you, and they will continue to do so unless you modify them. I encourage you to reflect on your beliefs about trading and money. It is very likely that you will discover a strong association with money. It is probable that you will find that your expectations are directly linked to money. That's why you are stuck in the same loop. I doubt that in this past year, those connections have changed. You need to change your beliefs to move forward. Think of any belief you have, it doesn't matter. Reflect on the actions you take under that belief and how much effort it takes to do them. If you feel trading as a struggle, as it seems from the outside, it means that your beliefs are not supporting you.

I hope you don't mind my opinion.