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+6.5% Positions were 60 delta 1-3 cons There was one trade where it became obvious and so I added cons for a quick in and out. One other time I took a 10 contract position. I stopped out for a 5% loss only to have it rip 20% in my direction. Smaller size would've kept me in. I constantly size too big despite feeling calm, slow and confident when sizing properly. Today I sized small and banked. So much easier to stay small, take the loss and re-enter or re-asses. +6% with 3 co

Sigh. I 'missed' the rip. Then expected and waited patiently for a reversal. It started to happen. I hesitated and missed. Determined not to miss it again I sized in early, averaged down, averaged down. And from there unable to take the loss until it was massive. My ability to wait through a losing trade is unreal relative to my inability to let a winner run. I exited some of the position on a rip that would have meaningfully limited the loss if I just exited everything but o

Okay well, didn't quite heed my advice from yesterday. I'm still just caving to my fomo. I have a clear thesis. It heads in my direction either I chase, size and exit quick, or I responsibly wait for the opposite swing pivot. But then of course as price rips to the pivot, I hesitate. Happened 2x. First on the AAPL IV Flush play. Huge move down off the open. Crazy extended on the 3m and 1m. After 3mins and the 4th minute candle I wanted to get long around $4 the 250c. I didn't

Not a good day of trading by any means. In trying to figure out why today was so different. For one I felt like an obligation kept me from capturing the 1% move in the first 30 minutes. The reality is I could've been wrong and even if I was right I wouldn't hold the whole way. Then this feeling magnified. Once I got to the office my thinking was that I might as well wait until after 2p because we had a huge move and it will be choppy. I went to look at the charts and saw that

Tuesday - 1 trade. Averaged down... Caught predicting not reacting. Exited promptly. Trade Execution Grade: D I had a great entry and continued to add vs cut. Cutting and then re-entering would've been better. Exiting allows me the clarity to reassess the PA Portfolio: +1.63% Today Trade 1: A+. Entered small. Entered close to Stop Loss. Took stop loss. Minimal Loss. Trade 2: A. Sound entry. No Greed. Exiting at next level. Re-added. Again exited at next level. Trade 3: D. Ove

Morning trade net +3.62%. A for trade execution. A very sound thesis. Slow scaling in. Proper exit. It got me thinking that if I create a rule behind how much/when I exit it'd take the emotion out of it. Obviously I've known this forever but really learning the benefits in real time. I think what typically gets me is I'm waiting for a level to break. When in reality I should be entering at the previous level and exiting 60%-80% of the position at the next level / the level I'

Still oversizing and then prematurely stopping out and then exiting. I've noticed the greater contract count is also affecting my bottom line in terms of commission. It's about a 10% drag so far. Which, that's presuming I keep growing. I need to focus on scaling in slower and smaller so that I don't stop out and so that I let the full setup play out. I'm able to do it really well in the afternoon (lower dollar amount despite just as many cons (meaning still paying the same co

+1.93% headed into EOD but I'm writing now to capture my emotions from this morning. I had a call and 'missed' the obvious move up. I began to look for quick scalps back to the ribbon given it didn't feel prudent to get long. My first trade was A+. Started with 1 added and exited when I should've. However, just because there's no prudence in getting long, doesn't open the door to get short. Given the momentum long was the only play but there was no deep pullback - at least in

Grading Trades B+ - starter, scaled, just didn't exit enough soon enough C - no starter, scaled too large, but conviction allowed me to hold and no candle closed below support SM was also in the trade early and didn't exit because probabilities were in favor and PA had not dictated a fail of the thesis. A- - Full loss acceptance, just missed my entry but still able to enter and exit B- - starter, scale, full loss acceptance averaged down only with profit was truly willing to

Since starting this public record I've focused primarily on P/L despite being well aware that if I execute properly against my process I will profit in the long run. I was measuring an output / outcome / performance rather than input and process. Over the last 3 years and especially the last single year I've become more certain on the conditions that need to be met in order to take a trade. It's still really hard - for me, at least - to exert the patience for all parameters t

I have been trading so far this year, but I've yet to really "start" this year given all the family health stuff. But, today is finally the day to get back at it officially. A year ago, I hit a level of consistency that allowed me to 'launch' Pop Capital. Having said that, 2025 still had days that negated a lot of progress. The patten continues 2-6 weeks of consistent, competent and quality trading, only to be out done by 1 day of recklessness. Each cycle I do feel more and m

Best week I've ever had not only in actual P/L but more importantly my actual trading. Simplifying when I'm willing to engage (close to 3m21e or very far away). being totally comfortable missing a trade - trying to miss the trade complete willingness to lose and take a loss given small # of contracts Weirdly the total dollar amount has never been the issue, rather the number of contracts. Thinking slow enough to really identify swing high / swing low and not acting until we'r

"Easy" day. No such thing as easy. But I was calm and decisive. I believe the simplification of focusing on the 3m21e and knowing how important it is to wait is the main driver. Or, actually, is it being totally okay with 'missing' a trade, if not even TRYING to miss a trade. I am constantly early, and worse oversized. Today, I was not worried about missing it. I had a thesis and entered 1 contract. Pretty close to support. Chose not to exit at resistance because I was conten

If you're actually reading this regularly you will probably see I'm in consistent in process. Some days I do the full prep. And it works. Some days I do the full prep and then forget it. Some days I don't do prep and keep it simple and it works. Some days I don't do prep and it shows. Some days I do or don't do prep, have a great first trade, then want more and force something to happen. On the flip side, I do feel I'm finally honing in on exactly what I'm looking for and the

All I was supposed to do was be patient enough to wait for price to come to the 3m21e then decide what to do. Of course the trades I took were all far away from the 3m21e. 1 great controlled trade 1 trade way too early and way too otm 1 trade pretty sound and never in the red though still reluctant to hold. 1:57 candle closes and it becomes clear to me we're going to rip. 3rd attempt at breaking support with higher PO. 2:00 candle rips face then tanks, but holds the 3m21e. Th

3m21e Don't engage mentally until we test the 3m21e Then wait 3+ candles Miss the move Wait for 3m21e to match up wtih Swing high Swing low Where's the flag? Only if it breaks do you enter continuation Only if the 3m21e flips do we remotely consider counter! Simple.

Fed decision could take us out of the tight range we've been in for the last week or so. Daily Bullish. On Friday we broke above the swing high / supply zone created November 12. It also marked 3 days of higher closes. With the Daily 8e acting as a launching pad. ATH however are still above about .5% away. PO hasn't quite made it into the distribution zone- which has typically been right where price begins to fade. We are closer to resistance than we are to the D21. In the ri

Building Confidence. I saw the 3m21e flip. I waited 3 candles. I identified the PO divergence on the 10m. We were extended from the ribbon on the hourly. Ultimately I wish I had 1. realized the 70% retracement from PM low to market high. So here's the initial look from the 10m time frame Significantly higher high from the overnight high and extreme PO reading fade. We tanked into the ribbon, which was scary at first because the 10m21e held. However, zooming in to the 3m, the

Did a great job taking a loss the first trade. Then convinced myself I exited to early, oversized to make up for the first lost and was hilariously wrong. And, because of the size, unwilling to take the loss immediately. I added to my position when the setup was obvious and very quickly 2xed the late buys. If I had just waited to trade that setup. What went wrong? I loaded the charts, my gut told me long, we went long, I 'missed' it and so was eager to get into a trade. Versu

Yesterday was a great day in terms of exiting once I was clearly wrong. I took the stop. I was wrong, still made money. And, better yet, had capacity to take the other side and ended up earning more. It's all about having a clear plan. Sizing appropriately. Simply cutting when wrong and waiting, waiting, waiting for the next move. I don't have to catch every move I think I have an edge on. I can miss it. And, just wait for the next A+ setup. Daily Still bullish. We've broken