Hey Guys,
The market has been in a pretty large range over the last week with the S&P 500 anchoring to the 4400 price level. Right now it's at the bottom of that range, and it's been kind of holding a lot of my positions down along with it.
I had five positions close today. One hit its stoploss (PGR), and the other four reached their time limits. Three of those four were closed for losses. This week isn't starting out on a profitable note, but it's not unusual to have some losses.
I picked up some new positions this morning. They came in somewhat late in the trading morning -- about half an hour after the open. In the main account I bought stock for ALL and STE. In the extra options account I took options positions for XLV and KR. And in the low-priced account I bought stock for KR.
I just moved over the weekend, and it brought up some feelings that are similar to what I sometimes go through with my trading. The main one was probably a feeling of not being in control. With the move, I did a lot of planning to try to make it smooth and successful, but ultimately there are just so many moving pieces that I can't manage how they all turn out. It brought up a sense of being out of control, which at times was uncomfortable.
That feeling sometimes comes up with my trading too, such as when my positions are going through a rough patch (kind of like they are right now). Ultimately I have no control over what the market or any given stock will do, so it not a surprise that I sometimes feel that way. For me, the key both for trading and for the move is to be ok with the lack of control. I remind myself that I'm taking an academic approach based on research and intelligence, and that it's ok that I can't control every aspect of the final outcome. That extends me a little bit of peace through the process.
If you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you.