You wouldn’t think that a green day could be worse than the day I lost $3800… but it was. Like 3 minutes after the opening bell, I was already up $1200+. I traded that stock really well. Then I went for another stock that looked super good, and suddenly I was down like $1000 (holding, not after selling); but I stayed relatively calm and focused, and I pulled back to +1195. I was super happy. I decided to hang it up for the day at that point.
But… it was rainy, and it was slow with work, and so I decided to play around with stocks again, but with super small positions, seeing if I could get back over $1200, and I did. I was up to $1210ish. I wanted to trade more, but there wasn’t anything good, and I was really disciplined.
That was part of what was so discouraging.
Having already decided to be done for the day (the playing around was with such small positions, the risk was pretty much zero… max lose a handful of dollars, kind of positions). But then… I decided to check the scanner to see if there was anything worth trading, and there was this stock that was super strong. It was just this slow, steady climb up. Up… up… up. It would go up and down in maybe a five cent range as it steadily climbed. Instead of going in with a small position, I went in with my full position (1000 shares), and yep, you guessed it… it tanked. This stock that had been so steady it was… boring… tanked. It had been so strong that I was still bullish. I was like… this has been a strong stock all day: It’s gonna rebound and recover and continue it’s steady climb, so I averaged down.
That didn’t work this time. It tanked again. I averaged down again. And it tanked a third time, and I finally just called the huge loss. I went from up $1200 to up $400. Then I tried again on what seemed like a good set up. Down to $220. Then tried a couple more.
Finished the day up $147. That was at like 5 p.m.
I was up on the day, but it felt like the biggest kick in the teeth. I had been so disciplined all day. I’d been so careful. When I wanted to trade and there was nothing to good to trade, I didn’t force it. And then I… lost huge right at the end of the day. I lost my self discipline there at the end. So good all day and then boom. I lost my biggest up day of my short career because I couldn’t just walk away at 8:35 this morning happy to be up $1200+.
I’m learning, but man… these are hard lessons. Honestly, it was worse than losing $3800. Being so disciplined all day, making such solidly good decisions.
And then to lose all that. And having wasted the entire day only to lose everything. I made it. I lost it. I made it back. I made such great decisions. And then… boom. and a wasted day. And no money in cars.
Anyway, I’m repeating myself. Rough rough rough day. It’s amazing that a green day can feel so awful.
I’m feeling better now than I was then, but… it’s been rough. I decided to switch my account to TD Ameritrade instead of Fidelity. Fidelity is… terrible. And that means a week or two off trading, and that’s probably a good thing for now.
Going to bed. Good night, folks.
Lift the World
~ stephen
Lift the World 
Self-growth is worth far more than money. These experiences you’re giving yourself and your deliberate self-analysis are incredible tools for self-knowledge and self-growth. It’s wonderful! You won’t take the money with you on the other side, but you will take the growth! It’s priceless! 🙂 🙂 Thank you for being willing to share your experiences to give the rest of us food for thought. I love you, brother!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂