Emini Day Trading - Emini Trading Strategies

I have many objectives for The Tactical Trader emini day trading journal, all intended for how I can best teach the trading of our emini trading strategies – I think of these as being related to the understanding of our method, as well as for the trading of it.  

Here are some of the things that I am focusing on when I consider my objectives related to the emini trading method: 

(1) Understanding method concepts, meaning strengths and weaknesses and how our trade setups are related to these.  I think of this in contrast to a problem that I frequently see, and this is where people try to memorize how to trade as language and triggers only. 

(2) Understanding that if you are trading a method you have guidelines, but you do not have fixed rules like you would in a trading system – thus, a method uses discretion, however discretion can be repeatable, where you continually do the same things for the same reasons. 

(3) Understanding our method compared to other methods – recognizing our method strengths, however, also realizing that there will be times when theirs is strongest.  From knowing this, we can trade setups that maximize our strengths and their weaknesses, while not trading against their strengths. 

(4) Understanding different market conditions, for instance directional strength and continuation –vs- consolidation, and that these cannot all be traded in the same way – adjusting accordingly is an example of using discretion instead of rules, and a strength of a method compared to a mechanical system.

My objectives related to the trading of our emini strategies are focused on:   

(1) Our trade setups and the trading of them, not as a ‘cookbook’ of specific rules - this is a method and not a mechanical system, but in the context of method strengths and market conditions, this leading to the highest odds trading that we can do.   

(2) Using the trade journal for answering questions that I receive – where a reply using and discussing a chart is a far more effective answer. 

(3) What the trade journal is NOT – a review of a bunch of profitable charts, where anyone could see what to do in hindsight.  There is not a whole lot of use in doing that – discussing more difficult charts that could have led to a profit if traded, as well as trying to anticipate and address trading problems and issues that I am aware of, is far more beneficial. 

(4) One of the big problems that I am aware of is the missing of good method trade setups.  Is this a function of not understanding the method and setup where it isn’t recognized real time, or is it related to hesitating and not trading, possibly due to some issue that really wasn’t a problem to the trade – this needs to be covered. 

(5) AND then we have to discuss non-method trading and the implication of doing trades that basis method can’t be done and why - this is related to trading psychology, and something that keeps many people from ever becoming a trader.