My recent forays into day-trading, as opposed to swing, has revealed insights into myself and the markets themselves.
Markets:
1: I noticed that price seems to move sluggishly when there are a lot of bars to the left.
However, if price breaks out into "open space", it seems to throttle up.
Maybe I need to take breakouts, or only take a signal if it is verified by breakout in the direction of the signal. But, then, why have a signal? The breakout itself is the signal?!
2: Watching the markets during the day, has revealed energy upto around 11am, and rangey/choppy until around 1pm onwards. I knew that open times of each session gives thrust, but never contemplated "rangey" before. I need to re-assess my swing-code. (I already have logic not to take multiple trades if the range is smaller than "X" ATR, to avoid chop, but never "saw" it unfold real-time)
I think that because I sometimes see moves during late morning, I think there is always opportunity. I think if I looked back across my swing trades, I will find I lose more than I make 11am-1pm.
3: Watching tick charts, I watched the energetic ebb and flow. I had forgotten these things as I moved away from real-time and concentrated on bars/charts. There are so many nuances that I think can't be coded! This bothers me.
Myself:
1: I overthink, and start to second-guess myself in real-time.
2: I feel the need to participate, and find reasons to open a trade, no matter how nebulous, and despite no code signal.
Both reasons above is why I prefer code to personal trading.
3: I seem to have a "this one makes me my profit", and fixate on the trade, when I should not "marry the trade", and let go.
I also think I know why I am frustrated. And I believe it is related to the idea of perfectionism and procrastination. And also why I went into the Fibonacci and Delta world, a while ago.
I think I expect the world/markets to be perfect, or to follow rules diligently. I get frustrated when the market does not conform to a pattern, or when patterns fail.
I want the markets to be consistent, and reward me for being able to understand them.
I am frustrated when I feel I have analysed the market correctly(?), and then the market does something else.
(I am one of those people that expect others to be punctual, and I get flustered if they are lax with time-keeping, etc. I expect people not to change their minds, or change plans previously agreed. It vexes me no end!)
I wonder if people who go down the Fib, Gann and Moon-phases route are similarly inclined.
The markets, in truth, can do whatever they want.
They owe me nothing.
Sometimes they trend, but not know how much, or for how long.
Sometimes they range, but not know how wide, or for how long.
I have been through this many times before, but it still bothers me.
Anyway, onwards....