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Day Trader Behavior Cycles: The Foundations of Change

As I stepped into the realm of trading full-time, I quickly realized how psychology and specific behaviors can positively or negatively affect trader performance. Beginning trading full-time in one of the most hyper-inflated markets and one of the best bull markets in history, I witnessed very volatile and drastic moves.  Having been learning about the market on and off for a couple of years before full-time immersion, I approached it cautiously. However, due to the current market's highly bullish nature, my cautious approach continued to hinder me. As I started participating in the market, I slowly fell into a false sense of security. I knew this wouldn't last forever, but the opportunity was too great to not push and be a part of the crowd. People made lots of money regardless of what or when they bought. Those who held and hoped were rewarded handsomely. As the days, weeks, and months went on, I slowly started to let go of my cautious approach and was making more money and c...

Options Trading SPY [-19% +2% +33%] 11/15/24

SPY 1-minute chart 11/15/24. Day Metrics { 2 } Wins { 1 } Loss Day Rating:  EFFECTIVE Overview At 8:30 AM ET, the U.S. Retail Sales for October were released. They showed a modest increase of 0.4% from the previous month, aligning with market expectations. However, core retail sales, which exclude autos, were up by only 0.1% against an expected 0.3%. SPY's price did not move in reaction to the news. However, we gapped down from the previous day and are in a downtrend. Trades [1]   RZ Bounce Entry:  Since we already had a significant gap down and started to push up from a pre-market low, I wanted to re-test the reaction zone and enter calls for a bounce. Exit:  I anticipated too early and gave it too much time before cutting losses. The bounce area was lower than I was willing to hold. [2]   (-) TL Reject Entry:   SPY's price bounced decently, so   I waited for the test of the (-) TL. Exit:  I was rewarded with a firm rejection in my favor. I locke...