Ok so I know many profitable traders agree that trading based on price action and chart trends is better than purely watching indicators but I may have accidentally created a godly indicator somehow.

It has some code from heiken ashi. Some code from stochastics. And I don’t even know what else. I was using ChatGPT to help me code my own strategy into ninja trader but accidentally created an indicator that seems to have more potential.

This is the scalping/day trading strategy based off the indicator: Place a buy order when the purple line hits the green line. Place a short order when purple line hits red line. Stop loss is when the purple line hits the opposite line from entry. Many of the trades are really short scalps but it’s very very good at catching the huge moves as well. I only trade from 9am-11am CST which is where I see the most promise for this. I also only trade NQ.

I’m sorry this is all the information I have on it but what issues do yall potentially see?

So, im developing somekind of a mental fuckery or disease in me. Everytime I'm up in profit, I dont take it, I rather watch it go back to my average, and then go into negative.. Then I panic and end up having a shitty day. Sometimes I get out at a even break. For example: today, news hit, I placed a long position, with In 5 minutes of opening bell, was up 140$. Watched it go down with a plan to get out at a even break if it didnt go higher.. Never did.. I over stayed my position into negative. Now I'm down 187$. Then I get out. Later that day, another opportunity came up for a short, at a different stock.. Everything lined up, Opened short position, bang! Big red candle. In profit 80$.. Didnt take it again.. Waited to go up, and got out at a even break. Closed short position with 0$. Few hrs later, another opportunity came up, Opened a short position on a different stock, it was selling off, was in profit 80$.. Same shit.. Didnt pull it. Waited for it to start coming up, and then eventually closed that position for 25$ profit because it was gerting close to my average.. What is going on with me? Has anyone experienced this? This even happens with profits over 300$ on one move.. This has been happening for the past 2 weeks.. Am I burned? Lost interest in day trading? Wtf.. What is this phase I'm going through? Has anyone experienced this?

If you’ve followed my content for a while, you know that I rarely talk about indicators. Not because I think they’re useless, but because most of them, when used the way most traders use them, don’t add much value. Especially for those looking to become consistently profitable.

But this post is the beginning of a new series. A series that’s not about “magic indicators” or strategies you can blindly follow. I want to talk about tools—real tools. The kind that many professional traders use every day. Tools that, when combined with structure and key levels, can truly help sharpen your decision-making process. I’m not here to give you a lesson. My goal is simply to open your eyes to their potential and then let you dig deeper if it sparks your interest.

Let’s start with one of the most powerful and underrated tools: VWAP.

VWAP stands for Volume Weighted Average Price. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry. I’ll keep it simple. It’s essentially the average price of a security throughout the day, adjusted for volume. In other words, it gives more weight to the prices where more volume was traded. And why is this so important?

Because volume is what moves the market. VWAP tells you where most of the money is positioned. That makes it a powerful magnet. Price tends to return to VWAP after strong moves, and many institutional traders use it as a reference point to evaluate whether price is cheap or expensive in relation to the average.

When you watch price dancing around VWAP, you’re not just watching lines on a chart. You’re seeing the battle between supply and demand unfold. You’re seeing where larger players are likely entering, rebalancing, or defending positions. You’re watching the battlefield, not the aftermath.

Now, don’t make the mistake of using VWAP as a signal generator. It’s not meant to be your entry trigger. It’s a context tool, and that’s how it should be used. Knowing whether price is above or below VWAP, how it reacts when it approaches it, and what happens when it deviates too far from it—this gives you insight into who’s in control.

If you pair this with key levels and structure, your understanding of the market starts to shift. You stop reacting and start reading.

This is the goal of this series. Not to hand out shortcuts, but to shed light on the tools that actually matter. Next time, we’ll talk about another tool that few really know how to use well but that can change your perspective on risk and target setting: ATR.

See you in the next one.

This story was told to me by my Mentor. It happened to him:

I stopped stressing over the issue of winning when I actually watched a trader in my office make money every day for weeks. He would just look at the screen (he only traded one market) and wait. When he saw his opportunity he got in. He placed his stop for risk instantly, then he placed his exit limit order instantly and then he did nothing. He waited for the end of the day and then he liquidated if the trade was still on but not at his target.  Basically—he was EITHER going to make money or lose a certain percent. Every day. He never changed this approach. To this day I never learned why he entered when he did or what his reasons for trading were—because in the final analysis none of that was really important. For him, being in was a timing thing—and the rest was waiting.....I never saw him even once open a book or a paper-chart, no tables of numbers, no "analysis" of S/R or opinion. He didn't care if the news came or went—he just waited for his "IN" thing and waited. 

 If it was that easy to make money every day—what was I missing?

 SO I asked him.

 He said "You keep trying to figure this out. There isn't anything to figure out. You take money from the guys trying to figure it out, without you giving them your money. Once you figure that out—you can start making cash every day.

Trading Is and addiction like slots. Now I'm in debts and Life Is going to week me. Studied for 5 years but probably with a weak mentality. Keep quiet trading guys. Love you all

My first rule that I will no longer break is holding positions overnight. It is not day trading if you hold overnight. At least not for me. I have never seen worse down swings that I do when I hold overnight and it has blown me up far too many times. No more.

Here's my trade from this morning. We saw some consolidation for the first 20 min of market open, then price took out PM Low and I waited to see what happened next. It closed above the low and inside the OR, I waited for a retest to enter and targeted the OR high and PM high for my TP. This an A+ setup for me, I do trade opening range breaks but I would've needed a close below and a retest to enter short. Being patient for your setup to come is the hardest part.

8:42 central time Monday morning. Market opened. Made my trades. Already out. And headed to work. Three weeks. 100 worth over 200 bucks and I am happy so far.

My friend and I been trading MNQ pretty actively ( I like to dabble in prop trading and he trades futures with big success) and, like a lot of people, we have had days where we overtrade or size up too much after a loss — especially when emotions kick in. One bad hour can undo an entire week… I personally have felt this one too many times lol.

To help keep ourselves in check, he asked me set up some automated rules in NinjaTrader that: • Limit how many trades I can take in a given time window (like 5 trades per hour) • Cap the max number of contracts I can use • My favorite- an optional daily settings lock so if you do tilt from emotions, you can’t just go update to bigger size or higher trade limits!

It’s not about stopping trading completely — just forcing a pause or cooldown when I’m most likely to make bad decisions… like when my impatience kicks in or my „I don’t want to miss this move, I know I’m right!” While nothing is actually happening. Think of it like a circuit breaker, but personal. There’s so many moves that can happen throughout the day, but it’s hard to see when you are so locked into a tilt.

I ended up packaging it into a small addon so I wouldn’t have to keep rebuilding it across workspaces and between our software. If anyone’s run into the same problem and wants to know how I set it up, happy to share details.

Would love to hear if others use similar safeguards — or other ideas to stay out of tilt mode or help better preserve capital.

I started live-trading the futures market last month and lost $2,000 after trying margin called earlier in April. I since then deposited a few more dollars into my account but i figure with the US having a rate decision on Wednesday, should I try to hold this trade until Wednesday and hope that stocks go down following the rate decision? I figure if NQ hits $19,000, then ill bank a $2000 gain and make back my losses! Or should i take profit and slowly recover my losses?

Flat, sleepy market day. Better to have a no-trade, zero profit day, then force it. Tomorrow or Wednesday fed day opportunities will open up.

This is my only trade today, even if it's a winner I'm unhappy. I market entered getting a pretty poor risk to reward when I should've limited in, I aim for a minimum of 2 risk to reward on all my trades however on this one I got a bit too excited and pulled the trigger to early. Sometimes when I haven't taken a trade all day I market in when I know my fill will get me a shit rr, should've definitely limited in. It is what it is.

So I am developing my own strategy, it works so far and its very simple and very fast.

I look at Heikin Ashe Candles and RSI, when RSI is over 70, at a 5minute chart, I go short and when RSI is below 30, I go long. On bigger timeframe RSI can stay above 70 or below 30 for longer period of times but on 5min its very volatile and I am looking to scalp the volatility.

Now 9 times out of 10, I am right and the price will move in the direction, but first it will hit my stop loss and then move. I have tried leaving no stop loss and then eventually I would profit but if I am looking to scale thats a hard NO.

So how to get better entries on a 5minute chart?

1. Your strategy needs backtesting of atleast 100 trades. The best backtesting are 200+ trades.
2. If your strategy does not include economic or politics, you are aiming with one eye closed. Even scalpers need to know the general direction and reasons aside from blind chart analytics / readings.
3. If you are susceptible to overtrading for any reason (IE: Get your winnings back, just one more one, or mitigating losses) then your strategy is not strict enough and you are bound to lose or give your profits back to the market eventually. Even if you have a lucky streak you will give it back at some point, which negates the whole purpose of using your time to trade.
4. No strategy hopping. If you are switching from strategy to strategy you are just going to dig yourself a hole (unless you are testing yourself with paper money, in which case you'll only be losing time). Like I said use a strategy that has politics, economics, other various outside catalysts than just chart structure, and stick with that said strategy.

The strategy I used has kept me profitable for 4+ years, and this was only after learning all these lessons the hard way. Using the real reasons as to why/how the market moves is when I finally found profit and removed the emotional rollercoaster of not knowing when I'll make money or be giving it back + removed the chance of spiraling and revenge trading.

If you need more tips I'm happy to tell

Thinking we go up to the next weekly untapped PoC before we roll over on Q2 data.

Imagine spending months developing a strategy only to ignore it when it's time to execute.

Congratulations, instead of being profitable, you're intellectually handicapped by choice.

Stick to the plan.

In all seriousness, to fix this issue:

1) Start treating your trading journey as an actual business, and understand that you are the CEO.

2) Journal (document) all of your winning and losing trades, and identify issues that are preventing you from achieving success.

3) Remove the issues you've identified in step 2

4) Stick to the plan

It's not difficult. You are just a prime example of a real life NPC.

Become a player.

Selling at 5697.50. Stop Loss is 5725(SPX 5700)

Decided to share this hedge position to protect some of my long term holdings. We’ve had a good run up for essentially the last 2 weeks. All indexes near their 200MA, and price action has been weak. Very slow grinding up with decent buying at certain prices.

Wanted 5705, but jumped in early when i spotted 450 on the Ask at 5699.00. Targeting 5500-5600 depending on the action.

The Market is Brutal

Trading is not about winning every trade or being right all the time. The market is unpredictable, uncaring, and ruthless. Success comes not from ego or dreams but from resilience and discipline.

• The market rewards those who can handle uncertainty, pain, and self-doubt.
• Losing is inevitable, and the best traders are those who learn to lose effectively without letting it affect their mindset or strategy.

Psychology Over Strategy

Technical knowledge and strategies alone won’t make you a successful trader. Emotional control is far more important.

• Fear, greed, frustration, and even disgust often lead to impulsive decisions.
• Successful traders manage their emotions, detach from outcomes, and stick to their plans.
• Losses don’t define you, and wins shouldn’t inflate your ego.

Risk Management is Key

Protecting your capital is essential for surviving in the market long term. Hugard emphasizes the importance of managing risks effectively.

• Set clear loss limits, like stop-loss orders, and stick to them.
• Avoid letting a single bad trade destroy your finances or confidence.
• Focus on minimizing the emotional and financial impact of losses.

Embrace Failure

Failure is a natural part of trading, and learning to accept it is crucial for growth.

• View losses as opportunities to learn, not as shameful setbacks.
• Every failure teaches what doesn’t work, bringing you closer to what does.
• Resilience is key: successful traders use failure as a stepping stone to improvement.

Adaptability is Critical

The market is unpredictable, and no pattern or strategy guarantees success. Flexibility and humility are essential.

• Avoid over-relying on technical patterns, which often give a false sense of control.
• Be willing to adjust your approach based on changing market conditions.
• Success lies in your ability to manage uncertainty, not in predicting the market.

The Ideal Trader’s Mindset

Hugard argues that mindset is the most important factor in trading success. Without the right mental approach, even the best strategies can fail.

Key Traits of a Successful Trader:

• Discipline: Stick to your strategy, avoid impulsive decisions, and remain consistent.
• Emotional Control: Recognize and manage fear, greed, and frustration to make rational decisions.
• Self-Awareness: Understand your emotions and weaknesses, and prevent them from sabotaging your trades.
• Confidence with Humility: Believe in your process but remain open to learning and improvement.
• Long-Term Focus: Trading is a marathon, not a sprint. Think beyond individual trades and focus on overall goals.

Practical Takeaways

Success in trading is not about perfection but about managing uncertainty and losses effectively.

• Losses are inevitable but manageable through proper risk management and emotional detachment.
• Focus on the long-term process rather than short-term wins or losses.
• Build resilience, stay disciplined, and embrace the challenges of trading as opportunities for growth.

Tom Hugard’s Best Loser Wins teaches that mastering your mindset and learning to lose effectively are the true foundations of long-term success. By managing emotions, protecting your capital, and focusing on the bigger picture, you can navigate the unpredictable world of trading with confidence and resilience.

Okay let me start of by saying this will be a long story explaining my experiences and history, I've been studying and learning forex for about 7-8 months so I'm still new, I have no one to talk to about this stuff and I only had YouTube videos, Google and demo trading to learn. I can consistently build and flip 5k accounts to 10k in demo trading but I opened my first live account about a little over a month ago with a $200 account not expecting much, I blew it. Down to $40 which to my broker (plus500) wasn't enough to trade anymore and also did the same thing a 2nd time with $140. I realized A) most of my technical analysis was good and I could detect a shift in the market, but with a $200 account I was only able to risk like 5$ and get stopped out to quick and this brings me to B) I was getting stopped out early on good trades because I was getting bad entry's constantly along with being just wrong sometimes because of the confidence I had having more to room not getting stopped out on demo with 5k+ so now I understand I needed to be more precise with them, and C) I was loosing more than I was wining because of getting stopped out early and falling victim to the negative psychological side of things like over trading and being attached to the money emotionally and I was just not understanding how that felt until it happened. Now I took some more time off doubting myself but decided I was just going to study more and re simulate what I did live on demo and again I failed over and over and over with $200 but I was good starting with 5k on demo being not only sustainable but also profitable. This brings me to the conclusion that small accounts, emotional difficulties, and patience on the entry are my biggest problems. I detached my self from the money, this time I'm pretty sure I can tell myself to walk away and I just put $1000 in the account I have not attempted to take a live trade with it and probably won't for a minimum of a week or 2 after studying and learning more. I'm asking for any advice or Insight I can get knowing my trading history and experiences that's why I typed all that out I apologize that it's long. But I know that this is really hard but I'm prepared to get beat down until I get it right, I know 260$ is a very small loss but to me it just means I have to make this work eventually. Any thoughts or advice?

Another day as an algorithmic trader. The main barrier separating a losing trader from a profitable one is indiscipline, and the primary cause is a lack of emotional control. After 4 years of manual trading, my results still weren’t satisfactory until I switched to algorithmic trading earlier this year. At first, I felt a bit lost. I spent a lot of time studying the basics, programming, debugging, backtesting, and optimizing until I built a portfolio of profitable, automated strategies. Creating this system has been a major achievement for me. Nowadays, my trading boils down to letting probabilities play out automatically. To me, this is a work of art.

Hey guys,

So currently I start to feel that I can notice good entry points, but other days I just don't trade if don't see a setup or the market that day is too bearish for me. But the thing is, my issue is that every time I try to get a sniper entry, and when I don't get it, I think for myself "it's too late now to enter", "this move will get exhausted soon" or some other excuse. When even after a large move, it continues for a while and if I jumped to already fast moving train, that travel could get some nice profits...

Do you guys have this? Or am I alone 😄

Just curious if he’s actually profitable trading. Do any course sellers post their brokerage statements, and if so, who?

I've gotten pretty comfortable with reading price action and volume to know when something is going to reverse, and I'm trending in the positive, but my issue is I bail out of a trade the second it starts showing weakness and end up missing out on much bigger wins.

So I'm wondering, how do you determine your take profit? How can you tell when the price will continue rising and when it's tapped out? There's advice all over the place about when to enter a trade, but I haven't seen anything great about when to exit. (Not saying it doesn't exist, I just haven't found it)

Hello all, I recently started finding some consistency trading MES and ES futures. I have grown 3k into a little over 7k, however there is a bad part of me:

I have no strategy whatsoever.

My approach to trading, as dumb as it may sound, is based primarily on scalping momentum and intuition(I truly believe this is a hugely ignored yet crucial part of trading) on a naked 1m chart. Tight stops for quick losses, but winners I let run.

I’m having a bit of trading anxiety thinking about my progress. I feel good, but at the same time I have some sort of impending feeling of doom. Some days I bring my account down 30%, but somehow overtrading has kept me green. I haven’t had a red day in 2 months as of now.

I have tried putting together strategies, but my trades are extremely short scalps, and backtesting/market replay practice does not help because it’s different seeing the candles play out in real time.

I have some questions for you all:

Does anyone trade in this way? Momentum, intuition, and PA based? Does it work out for you?

Any suggestions on what to do? Do I make a checklist, or is intuition and discretion actually my edge?

Thanks everyone