1 Minute confirmaton, 30M Bullish Orderblock, 4D 50% Bearish Trend Shift Retracement Taregt,

Key Intention for the Next Trading Day:

Your key intention should be to focus on waiting for confluence at the 50% retracement level and remaining patient for clear confirmation on whether the market will break above the Buy Side Liquidity (and continue upward) or reverse for a downside move. Specifically:

1. Monitor the 50% retracement from the 3D/4D trend shifts and ensure you’re looking for confirmation on the 5-minute or 15-minute charts.
2. Watch the weekly VWAP upper band as a key resistance level, which aligns with the 50% retracement and could indicate a potential downside move if respected.
3. Be mindful of contradictory signals from the 1-day moving average crossing above the 4D/5D moving averages. This could signal short-term strength but doesn't negate the potential downside move at your key level.
4. Remain disciplined and avoid second-guessing—you have a clear plan, so trust the process. Execute your trade based on solid confirmation.

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Best Advice for Your Next Move:

1. Trade Setup to Focus On:

   • Wait for price to reach your 50% retracement level (which aligns with the VWAP upper band). This is your high-probability setup.
   • Look for confirmation on the 5-minute or 15-minute charts, such as a rejection at the key level, candlestick pattern reversals, or momentum indicators signaling a reversal.
   • Enter short once confirmation aligns with your criteria (rejection at the retracement level, a false breakout, or price stalling at the VWAP upper band).

2. Stop-Loss and Risk Management:

   • Place your stop-loss above the Buy Side Liquidity and the 1-minute bearish order block to account for potential sweeps.
   • If the market sweeps this area and reverses, it would confirm your bearish bias. However, if it breaks through, it may invalidate the setup.

3. Targets:

   • Your profit target should be towards the 1-day moving average or a key liquidity level below, depending on the market’s reaction at the 50% retracement.

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If I Were in Your Position:

If I were in your position, I would remain patient and disciplined. Given the potential for conflicting signals (strength from the moving averages vs. weakness at the VWAP upper band), the key is to not rush into trades without clear confirmation.

What I would do:

• I would wait for price to reach the 50% retracement level and assess how it interacts with the VWAP upper band.
• If I see strong rejection or a failed breakout at this level, I would enter a short trade with my stop-loss just above the liquidity level.
• My target would be the 1-day moving average, which aligns with the "true market price" you’ve identified.

Why: This setup aligns with the high-probability areas you've identified, and it minimizes your risk while providing a good R/R ratio. Given the market dynamics, patience is essential to ensure that you’re not trading on uncertainty but rather on well-defined levels with confluence.

Remember, success in trading is not about taking every trade—it's about waiting for the right setup and executing it with discipline.

 

 

Here are the key takeaways from your trading notes:

1. Difficulty of Identifying Key Levels and Invisible Support:

• The bullish order block that formed in the prior day’s session into the close was hard to identify during live trading.
• You experienced frustration because buyers were stepping in at invisible support levels that were difficult to anticipate. This made your short trades feel off, as profit targets to the downside were not hitting.
• In hindsight, it's clear that the bias was unclear at the time, which contributed to the confusion and indecision during the session.

2. Importance of the 50% Retracement and Key Imbalances:

• A key factor was the 4-day 50% retracement imbalance, which hadn't been filled earlier but was eventually filled during the session. This level became crucial to watch moving forward.
• You're now aware of unfilled orders on both the upside and downside, which makes the directional bias unclear, but important levels (like the "line in the sand") will help you identify if the market moves up or down.

3. Key Levels to Watch for the Next Trading Day:

• The main focus should be on the Buy Side Liquidity and whether price can break through it and continue upward or if it will hit liquidity and reverse downward.
• If the market breaks the "line in the sand" and heads lower, downside is more likely.
• You’ve marked a key 50% retracement level from the 3-day and 4-day trend shifts, and this will be a vital area to monitor for potential entries on the 5-minute and 15-minute charts.

4. Weekly VWAP and Moving Averages:

• There’s a confluence between the 5-day VWAP upper band and the 50% key level on the 5-minute chart, which makes this area highly significant.
• However, there's a contradictory signal from the 1-day moving average crossing above the 4-day and 5-day moving averages, implying strength rather than weakness.
• You will need to wait for confirmation during the next session to determine whether the weekly VWAP upper band acts as resistance or if the moving averages indicate a continuation upward.

5. Market Price and Liquidity Draw:

• The true market price for Nasdaq is currently undervalued by around 150 points, and the market may move up to this level before reversing downward.
• This suggests a higher probability of a downside move if price reaches resistance before touching the 1-day moving average.

6. Trade Setup and Stop-Loss Considerations:

• You have a well-defined plan to watch for 5-minute and 15-minute confirmation at the 50% key level (aligned with the weekly VWAP upper band) for a potential downside move.
• Your stop-loss is best placed above the Buy Side Liquidity and the 1-minute bearish order block, but be aware of potential stop sweeps before the market moves in your anticipated direction.

7. Patience and Discipline for the Next Session:

• You’ve planned your trading setup, and you need to trust that the trade will either work or it won’t. Once the trade plays out, you should walk away from the screen and avoid overtrading or second-guessing.
• The setup may occur during the overnight session, but time will tell.

---

Key Themes:

• Invisible support levels and unfilled orders made this week frustrating.
• 50% retracement levels and imbalances are crucial areas of confluence.
• Monitoring key levels and confluence points for a clearer directional bias.
• Be aware of contradictory signals between the VWAP and moving averages.
• Stick to your pre-defined plan and maintain discipline in trade execution.

 

 

 

 

This also is a very difficult trading setup to find. It came from a prior day 30 minute bullish orderblock from the session into the close. 

The reason why I also likely wouldnt have taken this trading setup is because it appears that there is so much unfilled orders to the downside. 

So based on the last 2 trading days, it really seems as though the buyers came from areas that werent that strong, or very hard to locate.

And thats why when I was trading it felt very weird, because I was short, my profit targets to the downside werent hitting, and the buyers were coming in from what felt like invisible support levels, and this resulted in a very frustrating trading week.

Its somewhat nice to identify with hindsight, that the bias was still unclear. Because I couldnt quite understand it during the trading session either, but the fact that I still cant say for sure that I would have taken a long trade is somehwat reassuring. 

I do have to note that during this trading day, the 4 Day 50% retracement imbalance had still not yet been filled. And it did fill during this trading session,

But now, it seems as though there are a few very crucial levels to watch going into the next trading day. And that is the unfilled orders to the upside, the downside, and the line in the sand in the center.

If price can break through the Buy Side Liquidity, and continue upward, through the weekly trend continuation, then it seems bulls are in control. If it takes the liquidity and dumps back down, especially through the line in the sand, then downside seems probable. So basically, all of Frridays price action will be the main thing to focus on, (considering the levels) for the monday trading session. 

I marked a 50% retracement from the 3D & 4D trend shifts to get very precise. This will by far be the most important level and area to watch.

SO because it is a 3 day and 4 day level, that is more than a 1 Day level, therefor, we will only be able to take this setup on a 5 minute or 15 minute chart.

Im also noticing that the 5D week VWAP, is actually showcasing a confluence level with the upperband and the 50% area to be taken from a 5 minute chart. So this is a very telling signal to watch. The Lowerband of the 5 day week VWAP, also showcases the lowerband below the untested demand areas below.

Another important thing to note, is a contradictory signal, which is that the 1 day moving average has crossed above the 4 day and 5 day moving averages, which implyes strength rather than weakness. 

So we do not yet know which holds more weight, but we will have that answer after the monday trading session. Either the week upperband will provide a false signal, or the moving averages below will provide a false signal, but the moving averages align in confluence with the 12 hour line in the sand, in which if broken, looks like it will be providing more downside. 

And since the 1 day moving average is aligned at the line in the sand, one thing that we do know is that the market usually tends to trade towards that draw on liquidity, as it acts as the true market price for the nasdaq.

So as it currently stands, the true market price of the nasdaq is around 150 points undervalued. SO, if the market moves up to the resistance level prior to the 1 day moving average, I think it is a higher probability that the market will come down, rather than if the market moving down towards the 1 day moving average first, before moving back up. This is important. 

So we will wait for 5 minute & 15 minute confirmation at our 50% key level that aligns with the upperband from the weekly VWAP, for a downside move until proven otherwise. If we nail this trade, it could likely put our account back on track. Our current stoploss appears best if taken at the Buy Side Liquidity above the 1 minte bearish orderblock, but as we know, sometimes these levels can get swept before going in the pre defined direction, taking out stops and retail traders before the initial move. 

With all of this analysis, we will be well prepared for the next trading day, with our pre defined plan and trading setup, and it will either work or it wont. Regardless, once the trade either goes your way, or doesnt. WALK from the screen and end the trading session. 

Its also likely that this trading setup will occur during the overnight trading session but of course I could be wrong. Time will tell. 

4 Day 50% Range Short, 4D Moving Average Short, 5 Day 50% Range Short, 5 Day Moving Average Short, M1 Supply Zone, Prior Day High BSL Sweep & Short, Upperband to Lowerband Short,

Well, now we have the data 2 back up the range of liquidity when there are daily, multi day, and weekly trend shifts. We can now look to the moving averages to be swept for the full range, or for 50% and 61.8% retracements to play the direction.

What paid today compared to the horror show yesterday, was patience. This market is trading very thick, and I have to just stick to my short term 1 minute and 5 minute price imbalances, but its very boring currently to watch price because these are massive price imbalances to opportunites arent coming around often and when they do, they happen very quickly. B

But we finally broke the negative streak since the inception of this funded account, and we now have 2 days of 200 or more, 3 more and we can get our first payout! lets go!!!

 

Prior Day Long (B SIDE),

Key Takeaways from the Trading Notes:

1. Lower Confidence in B-Side Setups:

   • The day's entry was a B-side setup, meaning a retracement to the previous day's entry level. You note that these setups tend to have less confirmation compared to A-side setups (initial, stronger setups), which makes the trade inherently riskier.

2. Untested Demand Zone Imbalance:

   • There was an untested demand zone from the previous day on the 1-minute chart, and this imbalance wasn't filled before the trade setup. This absence of a filled imbalance suggests that the setup lacked a key confluence for a higher-probability trade.
   • The unfilled imbalance indicates the potential for more downside, which complicates forming a directional bias.

3. Difficulty Establishing a Clear Market Bias:

   • Due to the competing imbalances—both to the upside and downside—it was difficult to determine the market’s next direction. This uncertainty made it challenging to trade with conviction or develop a strong bias for either direction.

4. Trade Timing and Opportunity:

   • The setup occurred at 4 AM, outside of your typical trading hours. This raises the question of how you could have even participated in the trade, further complicating the analysis of this opportunity.

5. Missed Upside Imbalance as a Potential Signal:

   • The fact that the upside imbalance wasn't filled could have been the only reliable factor to help guide your decision. If you had focused on this, it might have provided a clearer indication that the upside move had yet to play out.

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Summary of Key Issues:

• Lower probability of success with B-side setups.
• Unfilled imbalance left the trade lacking strong confirmation.
• Difficulty forming a clear bias due to conflicting imbalances.
• Timing (4 AM) made it hard to engage in the trade meaningfully.

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For future reference, focus on identifying A-side setups with strong confluence (like filling imbalance zones), and avoid getting caught in setups where the bias is unclear or where the timing makes the trade difficult to manage.

 

 

 

 

This trading day is by far the most tricky. For the reason being that it was an exact long entry from the prior day entry, which is a retracement and B side setup due to the 100% retracement back to the entry level.

This gives that entry less confirmation of working compared to an A side setup from the day prior.

It also didnt fill the imbalance to the untested 1 minute demand zone from the prior day, which would have added an extra layer of confluence and confirmation. So there is also a chance that this imbalance will be filled in the future. Which could suggest more downside.

So between the imbalance to the upside & the downside, it is currently very hard to develop a trading bias to understand where the market is going to go next. 

It also took place at 4AM in the morning

So im not exactly sure how I could have got involved in this trade. 

The only thing I could have relyed on is that the imbalance to the upside wasnt filled 

4D bullish Orderblock, 5M demand zone , Lowerband to Upperband Long, Wk Bullish Orderblock,

absolutely horrendus day. took 25 trades. lost 4 another 400.

Bottom VWAP band works all of a sudden. 

LIS reversed again. 

A million take trade signals.

None worked.

Theres a universal vendetta against me. Its really that fucking simple.

Theres nothing else that can explain the complete shift from eval to funded like this. I am literally changing nothing. Its a fucking comedy show.

And this will absolutely be my last go at this. If i fail this funded. And im seriously not joking. 

Not sure where price is heading

Well see if it reacts from the moving 4d and wk moving averages. Those fail, I really dont have any answers. Because the 'easy money trades' only work when im either not in them, or dont work at all. 

Im really getting the fucking shit end of the stick to start this month. 

Somehow a second test/b side trade setup from the bullish orderblock holds more weight than every single timeframe selling off and trending down.

Simply followed my rule of not trading orderblocks that go against trend. 

Followed the LIS

Followed my easy money setup

Followed moving average aligned with upperband. 

Followed the price action reaction. 

Nothing working. 

1M Confirmation, 2nd Retest Wk Bullish Orderblock (Long), 3D Trend Shift Target, Prior Day Low 1M/5M Demand Zone,

Key Takeaways from Your Trading Notes:

1. Imbalances May Play a Larger Role Than Trend Shifts:

   • You’ve noticed that the 50% retracements to fill imbalances have been more significant than focusing solely on trend shifts. This is a new realization that you need to integrate into your trading strategy, as imbalances can impact market moves more heavily than trend alone.

2. Focus on Imbalance-Filling Instead of Pure Trend Following:

   • Your strategy has primarily been trend-following, but the introduction of imbalances suggests that you need to balance both. Imbalances—especially in the form of retracements—can influence how the trend plays out, particularly in relation to shifts.

3. Current Month’s Trend Is Still Bullish:

   • While you’ve been anticipating a potential bearish continuation, the monthly trend is technically still bullish. This bullish bias might explain why the market hasn’t played out as you expected, and you may have overemphasized the downside potential.

4. Need for Further Data to Confirm Imbalance vs. Trend Influence:

   • You’ve recognized the need to collect more data to confirm whether imbalances truly hold more weight than trend shifts. The 3-day trend shift imbalance is still unfilled, which might indicate further price action in that direction.

5. Potential Continuation of Uptrend Despite Trend Shift:

   • The 4-day trend shift occurred, but the lower wick of the 4-day candle closed above the shift wick, along with the weekly candle. This implies a potential continuation of the uptrend, despite the trend shift, aligning with the unfilled imbalances.

Conclusion:

You’ve identified that imbalances may be a more dominant factor than trends in certain conditions. Moving forward, incorporating both trend analysis and imbalance-filling into your trading strategy will provide a more comprehensive approach. Also, be cautious of bearish biases in a technically bullish market, and gather more data to refine how imbalances affect your trades.

 

 

 

 

As I am analyzing this week, I am now aware of the fact that, one you add these 50% retracements, to fill the imbalance of the initial bearish trend shifts, its clear that I was too focused on the trend, rather than the imbalances. And this is something brand new introduced to me. As my trading strategy primarily focuses on trend following. 

Theres a couple reasons why the imbalances may have played a bigger factor than the actual trend shifts, and if this serves true, then there is still the 3 day trend shift imbalance that is yet to be filled.

One reason could be that the month trend is still technically bullish, and although bullish, I have convinced that this months bottom wick is not yet fully formed, but I could most certainly be wrong

And simply that imbalances hold more weight on trend shifts, but we will need more data in the future to confirm.

We are also aware going into the next week, that the 4D trend shift occured, but the lower wick of the 4D candle closed above the shift wick. including the Wk Candle. So it appears, that the trend may continue up.

3D Bearish Trend Shift 50% , 9:30 Short, Balanced Price Acceptance Moving Average , LIS (Bearish), LIS Reversal, Lowerband to Upperband Fail, M15 Confirmation for 3D 50% Fib Retracement Setup, New Month Candle, New Quarter Candle, pre market low dropout, Reset of VWAP Settings,

Here are the key takeaways from your trading notes:

1. Loss Management & Position Sizing:

• You lost twice the daily loss limit, which means you need to reduce risk. You will not trade tomorrow, and you're restricted to one contract until you recover the $500 drawdown.

2. VWAP Settings Error:

• The new monthly candle open reset your VWAP settings, leading to false signals, which caused significant losses. This was a crucial mistake that you recognize as preventable.
• Solution: You must never trust VWAP settings on a new monthly or quarterly candle open without marking prior month's key levels to avoid misreads in the future.

3. Bias and Executional Errors:

• You entered the session with a neutral bias but ignored key technical analysis cues (buy/sell ovals) that could have clarified market direction earlier. Waiting for these signals to break would have helped avoid losses.
• Trading based on a Turtle Soup setup at the premarket low, instead of recognizing the larger liquidity drawdown happening, also resulted in a significant loss.

4. Discipline & Emotional Impact:

• You let previous trades (where support repeatedly held) influence your decision-making, which affected your objectivity when entering today's trades.
• Trading while tired (from staying up for the overnight session the day before) likely impaired your ability to react properly to the session's setups.

5. Failure to Adhere to Key Rules:

• You didn’t wait until 10 AM to trade, violating your own rule, which would have likely reduced losses.
• Not following through on your rule to consult the 5-minute chart when VWAP settings reset also led to multiple smaller losses (on the 1-minute chart) that compounded into a bigger loss.

6. Pre-Market Observations:

• Pre-market price action suggested the overnight low break should have been seen as a signal for the bearish move, not a liquidity sweep opportunity. Missing this transition from range-bound to trending structure was a key mistake.
• The 9:30 AM move, which occurred before the expected data release, was unusual and caught you off guard, but this underscores the importance of adhering to your predefined levels and biases, regardless of timing.

7. Execution Issues:

• Slippage and rejected orders during the data release added to your losses, with an extra $50-$80 incurred unnecessarily.

8. Lesson for Future Monthly/Quarterly Openings:

• Plan ahead by marking upper and lower bands from the prior month’s price action before a new monthly or quarterly candle opens. This will give you a better gauge of where price action is heading, rather than relying on fresh VWAP indicators alone.

9. Improved Use of Timeframes:

• The importance of incorporating higher timeframes (5-minute chart or higher) during new month VWAP resets is emphasized. This would have resulted in fewer trades and reduced losses.

10. Actionable Adjustments:

• You must ensure that similar execution errors and misinterpretations don't happen again. This includes sticking to your trading rules, adjusting VWAP settings, and being more disciplined about your execution around critical times like data releases.

Summary of Key Adjustments:

• Reduce position size and risk until you recover drawdown.
• Avoid trading on the open of a new month or quarter without proper key levels marked from the prior period.
• Stick to your time-based rules (e.g., wait until 10 AM to trade).
• Use higher timeframes (like the 5-minute chart) when VWAP settings reset.
• Avoid overnight trading if it leads to exhaustion during the main session.

These takeaways highlight the importance of strict rule adherence, better preparation for significant market changes (like monthly opens), and reducing execution errors to avoid repeating similar costly mistakes.

 

* I have to note the observation that when the market opened at 9:30 today, there was a slight imbalance to the draw on liquidity that was very slight, because today, the sell off took place from a balanced price range at the daily moving average and draw on liquidity, I have to note this rule for future reference that once the iblance is filled to the moving average and draw on liquidity, price has a likely probability to reverse, no matter how big or small the price imbalance is. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

You lost 2 times the daily loss limit, therefor you will not be trading tomorrow. You also are not allowed to trade more than 1 contract until you compleley cover the 500 drawdown compared to you max loss limit because of this. 

Today we were faked out, due to false signals from our lowerband from our VWAP settings, due to the fact that the new monthly candle open, reset all of our VWAP settings. And this is a crucial mistake and error we can never make again in the future. 

This could have been avoided by simply having listened to the buy and sell ovals I had positioned in my technical analysis from the overnight session. I came into this trading session with a neutral bias for the day, and in all honesty, I just had to wait for one of the ovals to be knocked out of position to understand the bias for the trading day. 

I will say, its very unfortunate that this type of move couldnt have happened yesterday when. I was positioned, constant invisible buyers and support stepping up at the pre market low Over and Over and Over again, yet today, when I attempt to take a turtle soup setup of the premarket low, after thinking that there would be a move back up after overnight longs were taken out of position, I suffered my biggest loss in a while. 

I think its also bullshit, that when I was positoned for this type of drop yesterday, the premarket low was bought up over 5 times and then rallied into the close. THEN, because I was exausted from staying up all night, trading the overnight session, I didnt want to trade this overnight session, which has now positioned shorts for this massive drop 

I must stop these big losses in incur once a month. From monthly levels, monthly candles ect. This was also the open of a new quarterly candle. and I also didnt listen to my rule that I should wait until 10AM to trade. 

Never trust the VWAP settings on a new monthly candle open ever again. 

Either way, its likelt we wouldnt have caught this trade because of course its a 9:30AM move, BEFORE DATA, which is also strange. But the trade of the dau setup at this current moment, was a sell stop order at the premarket low, for when overnight longs were knocked out of position, rather then try to play a liquidity sweep, turtle soup setup after they were swept.

Price was showcasing that bulls were in the trade of the day setup in the overnight from the premarket low to premarket high. So this quite literally was the last bullish attempt and run up from these price levels. 

I let the concept of an 'easy money trade' with my upper and lowerbands block my thought process on the overall draw on liquidity taking place in the market. I should have been well aware that because we are starting a new quarter and month, that the sweep would begin to the downside before the upside. 

This is also the first time in a very long time, that I have seen a pre market low dropout like this. Which shifted the structure from rangebound, to trend. 

I also should have listened to the 5 minute chart, instead of the 1 minute, since the VWAP month settings were fresh, and I have incorporated the 5 minute chart with the Month VWAP from the prior month. Had I listened to 5 minute price action instead, I would have been sized lighter, and likely only have taken 1 loss, instead of multiple shorter timeframe papercuts that resulted in way bigger loss on the day then I should have. 

Also, many executional errors on the day, like selling market into the 10 am data, which somehow resulted in a loss, when I was under the impression I sold seconds earlier than the data, and thought I was chipping away at some of the morning loss, but it resulted in an etra 50-80 dollar loss, complete garbage. I was getting rejected on certain orders I was placing, and the final market exit had alot of slippage, creating a bigger loss. SO OVERALL, this entire day was a complete shit show, mis read direction, executional errors, unlucky between yesterday and todays sessions, and how price action was delivered. But now we have something to refer to at the start of the next month, and quarterly candles. 

Another thing we can do to avoid this type of loss again in the future, is that prior to each new monthly candle opening, we can mark the most important upper and lowerband levels from the month prior, to really gauge where price may be delivered, instead of relying on the new VWAP each month. 

The new Month VWAP, can also apply to ALL TIMEFRAMES, from 1 hour and below, since the 1 hour chart factors in a month of price action. 

 

ALL OF THESE MISTAKES AND ISSUES CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. 

15M Bearish Variation Confirmation, 3D 50% Retracement & H4 ODB Confluence (SHORT), 3D Bearish Trend Shift 50% Retracement Short, 3D Trend Shift/3D 50% FIB Imbalance, 9:30 Open (Short), H4 Bearish Orderblock Short, M1 Supply Zone (15M Variation) Retest Short, PML Short, Trade Of The Day , WK Bullish Orderblock Target,

Your main intention should be to prioritize disciplined risk management and consistency over profit maximization.The goal is to focus on executing your strategy with precision and sticking to your refined trading rules to rebuild confidence and stabilize your account. 

Your primary intention should be to "Trade conservatively and focus on capital preservation." Given your limited drawdown cushion ($750) and recent trading outcomes, your goal is to rebuild confidence and establish a positive trading rhythm by prioritizing discipline, patience, and precision in every decision. Approach the day with the mindset of a risk manager first, trader second.

 

 

 

 

 

Key Takeaways from Your Trading Notes:

1. Acknowledgment of Mistakes

• You recognize that the first week of your funded account was drastically different from your evaluation phase, leading to significant losses.
• The combination of a shift in market conditions at the start of October and potential psychological hurdles seems to have negatively impacted your performance.
• You identify that overtrading and failure to follow your own rules (such as the daily loss limit) were major contributors to your poor performance.

2. Psychological Factors

• You acknowledged self-sabotage and negativity, expecting trades to fail before even taking them, which likely influenced poor decision-making.
• There's an understanding that mindset needs to shift toward positive visualization to manifest success and turn things around.
• You've recognized that keeping a calm, professional mindset and approaching trades with low stress is key to staying in control and making rational decisions.

3. Critical Trading Mistakes

• Breaking the Daily Loss Limit: You repeatedly exceeded your daily loss limit by significant amounts, which was a major factor in the drawdown.
• Overtrading: You moved from 3-4 trades per day (in the evaluation) to 15-20 trades per day after funding, leading to overexposure and losses.
• Not Taking Profits: A major issue was letting winning trades go back into the red, missing the opportunity to lock in profits. The failure to secure $800 in profit on Friday underscores this problem.
• Chasing Unrealized Gains: By aiming for extended targets (e.g., Upper VWAP band) instead of scaling out profits earlier (VWAP target), you lost unrealized gains. Adjusting profit-taking targets could have saved you from significant losses.

4. New Approach and Game Plan

• Reduced Expectations: You’ve set a max daily loss of $75 with a target of $150/day, aiming for small, consistent wins. The goal is to bring the account back to breakeven by making trading "boring" and stress-free.
• Switching to S&P500: Due to NASDAQ's high volatility, you may need to shift to trading the S&P500 for a more stable, less volatile approach.
• Focus on Consistency: Your goal for this week is simply to stay disciplined, follow the loss limit, and consistently hit small targets rather than swinging for large wins. This will help prevent blowing up the account.

5. Technical Adjustments

• Timeframe Correlation: You've introduced a rule where the weight of a level correlates with the timeframe. For example, a weekly level requires confirmation from a 5-day, 5-minute chart or higher.
• Entry Confirmation: You plan to refine your entries using higher timeframe levels (such as 3D mean reversion setups) with appropriate confirmation from lower timeframes (5-minute or 15-minute charts).
• Taking Profit Earlier: Recognizing the importance of adjusting your profit targets to realistic levels, such as using VWAP as a guide for smaller but achievable gains.

6. Positive Outlook and Commitment

• Despite the setbacks, you remain optimistic about the potential to turn things around. You’ve invested significant time and effort into your trading journey and are committed to not letting one bad week ruin your progress.
• You acknowledge that every trader faces crossroads like this, and the ability to recover from setbacks is what differentiates good traders from elite ones.
• You've recognized the need to remain calm, focus on discipline, and approach the upcoming week with a renewed mindset and more conservative strategy.

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Key Actionable Steps:

1. Stick to Your Max Daily Loss Limit: Absolutely adhere to the $75 loss limit to preserve your remaining drawdown and avoid blowing the account.

2. Lower Trade Frequency: Go back to your evaluation stage discipline—limit your trades to a maximum of 3-4 per day to avoid overexposure.

3. Lock in Profits: Adjust your mindset on profits—take what the market gives you rather than holding out for larger targets. Start with VWAP targets instead of aiming for full ranges.

4. Follow Timeframe and Setup Rules: Use the new correlation rule to ensure your entries align with the timeframe's weight and the confirmed setup, especially for key levels.

5. Psychological Reset: Practice positive visualization and affirm your winning potential before each trade. Shift your mindset from fear of loss to confidence in execution.

By focusing on these key areas, you can slowly regain control and get your account back on track while preserving your capital.

 

 

 

 

Refined Trading Rules

1. Max Daily Loss Limit:

• Daily Loss Cap: $75. If this limit is hit, stop trading immediately for the day.
• Mindset: Treat this as your #1 rule. Preserving capital is the priority.

2. Daily Profit Target:

• Profit Goal: $150 per day (2:1 risk-to-reward ratio).
• Focus: Once the target is hit, walk away and end the trading session.

3. Trade Frequency:

• Max Trades Per Day: Limit to 3-4 high-probability trades per day to avoid overtrading and emotional decisions.
• Execution: Stay patient and selective, waiting for A+ setups.

4. Market Focus:

• S&P500 Preference: Given current volatility, focus on trading the S&P500 to minimize risk exposure. Only consider NASDAQ if conditions clearly favor it and targets are adjusted accordingly.

5. Timeframe Confirmation:

• Multi-Timeframe Analysis: Ensure trades align with higher timeframe levels and confirmations:
  • For Weekly Levels: Use a 5-day, 5-minute or 15-minute chart for confirmation.
  • For Monthly Levels: Use a 10-day, 30-minute chart for confirmation.
• Shorter Timeframes: Fine-tune entries using imbalances on shorter timeframes (1-minute or 5-minute) after confirmation.

6. Entry Execution:

• Use Stop Orders: Always use buy/sell stop orders to trigger trades. Avoid using limit orders to enter trades against momentum.
• Directional Reversal Rule: If your first trade is wrong and stopped out, reverse the directional thesis for the second trade of the day.

7. Profit Taking:

• Lock in Profits: Cut profit targets in half when trading volatile assets like NASDAQ (e.g., VWAP instead of entire range). For S&P500, aim for realistic targets aligned with levels like VWAP bands or key support/resistance zones.
• Don't Hold for Unrealistic Gains: Secure gains early if they align with your setup; don’t let winning trades turn into losses.

8. Mindset and Discipline:

• Positive Visualization: Approach each trade with confidence in your strategy and a clear mind. Avoid expecting failure before the trade even starts.
• Boring Trading is Good Trading: Focus on steady, stress-free trading without trying to hit home runs. Stay disciplined and keep emotions in check.

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This rule refinement ensures your approach is well-structured, disciplined, and focused on preserving capital, aligning with your new risk management goals. It’s designed to prevent overtrading, over-leveraging, and emotional decision-making while maximizing small but consistent wins.

 

 

 

 

okay, so, I just have to get real, and be brutally honest about how terrible I traded this week, with it being the first week of my express funded account, and overall a COMPLETE 180 from how well I did in the evaluation, prior to the transition to funded. And I think its not only a combination of the market drastically changing at the turn of the month into october, but also likely a psychology issue as well. And I have to catch it ahead of time, right here, right now, before its too late, and I blow this account.

I owe it to myself, for all of the hard work I have put in, not only for this 4TH funded account, but also for an entire year of work I have dedicated, wanting to quit multiple times, feeling lost, helpless etc, and I still have the chance, although damaging my account more than I should have on the first week of trading, but still have the chance to turn it around. And we have to be optimistic about that, and turn it around as a professional funded trader would and should

If you are going to do this as a full time career, you are going to hit this crossroad many times in your journey, and what separates good traders, and elite traders, is being able to dig yourself back up out of a hole, and turn it around for the better.

So with that being said, we are going to create a brand new overview of the entire week of trading since the turn of the month, all of the things we did wrong (which are many things) and also do a deep dive on how the market is actually moving, with trade of the day setups, and over viewing all of the trades I took to try to understand how to approach this upcoming week of trading. 

 

WE HAVE $750 DOLLARS OF DRAWDOWN LEFT TO WORK WITH:

So with that being said, we will have a max daily loss limit of $75 dollars. YES. 75 dollars.

for this reason, we may have no other choice than to trade the S&P500 as its less volatile than NASDAQ. 

We will have a realistic target of $150 dollars a day which is 2:1 ratio for our daily loss limit.

 

S&P500 Daily ATR is currently: 65 Points

NASDAQ Daily ATR is currently: 337 Points

So this means NASDAQ is currently 5X(times) more volatile than the S&P500 at the moment. 

 

SO the goal for this week, is the massively drop our expectations, DO NOT think about the money, make the trading week as boring as possible, completely reduce stress with low dollar fluctuations on the account, look to hit $150 and WALK.

if we are able to make $150 a day for this upcoming week, we will be breakeven on our equity for the week. and double our drawdown limit.

THAT IS THE GOAL, nothing more, nothing less. 

YOU MUST KEEP THIS IN MIND. do not come into the trading session swinging the bat hard. OR YOU WILL REGRET IT, and likely lose your trading account.

there is no reason to rush anything, you have all the time in the world, and you will be saving yourself the discouragement of failing this funded account.

A good way to approach it, is to imagine you just received your first payout, and this is you trading the account with a $750 dollar limit, which is a realistic scenario, do not approach is from a loss perspective. 

 

Things clearly done wrong during the trading week:

- We have broke our daily loss limit rule multiple times, losing WAY more than $200 dollars, multiple days, and on average losing more than double the daily loss limit

- OVERTRADING, and this could be one of the worst. I went from taking MAX 3-4 trades a day, on my evaluation, to literally taking 15-20 or more trades per day on my funded account

- Continuously taking trades that were proven to be wrong over and over again, thinking that the outcome would somehow change, contantly being short minded, and taking paper cut after papercut on the 1 minute and even somehow the 2 and 5 minute charts

- Not doing any deep dive journaling sessions, relying on what was working from the evaluation and the setups from the evaluation stage, thinking I had everything in the bag, and getting mentally lazy

- NOT taking profit, and letting almost every single trade that was in profit go against me, either resulting in a loss, or breakeven trade, which is completely unnacpetable, because friday, not only did I not lock in an $800 short trade, but I let the day go from what could have been a massive green, turning my entire week from negative to positive, but I wound up LOSING my biggest day, around over $500 dollars. THIS HAS TO END IMMEDIATELTY. Either by cutting our profit targets in HALF when when trading the NASDAQ, which would mean VWAP targets rather than the entire range from Lower to Upperband. The targets simply were not hitting, and I lost alot of money in unrealized gains by letting many trades go against me. In theory, had I taken profit all of the times I was up more than $200 unrealized, I likely would have over 1,000 dollars on the week of trading, potentially even more. So we have to keep this in perspective. 

- Self sabotage, which is something ive realized about myself, I get very very negative, and I almost expected the outcome of each trade to be a loser, yet still took the trade. I have to envision myself winning. to manifest it. 

 

So now, we will overview all of the trade of the day setups, for both premarket 9:30 session.

 

 

One thing I want to note, Is that the defualt timeframes are the 1 Day 1 minute chart. And then the next chart is 5 Day 5 Minute.

So basically, the default timeframes, suggest that anything more than a 1 day LEVEL, will require a minimum timeframe of 5 minute, and 15 minute timeframe confirmation.

Anything more than a WEEKLY level, meaning a monthly and above with require a 20 Day, 1 Hour chart and above, and all of those entries can be fine tuned with price imbalances on the shorter timeframes.

This first setup that we saw, took place from a 3D mean reversion, therefor, it required a minumum of 5 minute confirmation. 

 

(NEW TRADING RULE)

the Weight of the LEVEL, that correlates with a timeframe, has to be taken on the amount of days suggested on the lower timeframes.

EXAMPLE: A weekly level, is a level that consists of a full trading week. (5 Days)

So the trade must be taken from a (5 DAY) 5 minute or 15 minute default trading chart. 

 

1 Day Moving Average Long, 1D Bullish Orderblock Target, 2 Day Moving Average, 2D Bullish Orderblock Target, Daily Bearish Trend Shift 50% Fib Retracement, Moving Average Confluence, Moving Average Short, Overniight Short,

Bearish LIS Reversal, Overnight Long, Overnight Long Re Entry from Prior Day,