Up and down

The last several trading days have seen some significant directional trading up and down.  I have never seen it like this.  The average rotation on the ES (S & P e-mini) is about three points.  The ES has been trading in one large rotation of about 13 points.  Taking advantage of those days would net huge profits.  The issue is that you just don't see this many significant directional days.  The normal rotations have been replaced by significant up and down turns.

It is just more evidence that the market will do whatever it wants to do, and that nothing is "normal".  You can be trading for years and you will still be learning new things every week, (at least a trader should be).  You can't be prepared for everything, but you should do what you can to prepare for what you know and what you see, not what you expect.  Every day provides a new storyboard with new context for the same prices and time in a day.

I guess that trading days are like snowflakes, no two are alike.  This has a tendency to mess with people's minds and confidence in a big way.  It is one of the reasons that many people are not successful at trading, give it up and leave it to the "experts" who show their expertise using commissions.  I know that it has messed with my mind.  Fortunately, I expect it so my confidence is not rocked, just my account sometimes.

Once again, I have proven that when I do my homework, build my setups and trade within a plan, I do well.  When I go "rouge" and try something different, the market is consistently there to remind me that it has a mind of its own and I will follow it, it will not follow me.

Tomorrow is another snowflake.