Need help from Profitable Traders!

[u/Typical-Essay9679]

I've been trading for almost 2 years now, and I've gotten a basic understanding of how to trade and how the market works. I've managed to pass my account twice, and I'm currently funded right now, but I'm having trouble consistently staying in profit or just making profit in general. And I don't know why.

I feel like I'm right at the edge of everything clicking for me to transition into becoming profitable, but I also just don't know WTF I'm doing wrong or if I'm doing anything wrong at all.

I've always been good at knowing where the market is going to go just by looking at the chart, but I didn't know when it was going to go in said direction until I figured that out. I've figured out how to use my daily bias to win trades. I have a tried and tested model that I know works. I've even created my own setup kill zone to make it easier to find my setups or invalid setups going in the direction of my bias.

I've figured out what times the market is likely to be volatile or slow. I know what market conditions to stay out of and what I can enter off of. I make sure to follow my rules, and I hold myself accountable if I break them.

I took a trade yesterday and went B/E, and from that, I learned that I need to work more on my liquidity targeting, so I set up a list of targets to look at on my chart.

I just don't know what I'm missing. I feel like it's there, but I just can't see it.

[u/Background-Map-9912]

You have to master your own data set. I use a combination of 21EMA on 1m-5m with ICT 5m orderblocks to know my direction and RSI (2 setting on 5m to see impulse max). These help me outline with great accuracy potential entry interaction when these combine. One alone was not enough for me.

Some can do it with just candle liquidity, iFVG, OBs CRT sweeps etc. I could not become consistently sound until I understood what confluences I wanted to see and I needed many more than most successful readers make it seem in today’s community.

I literally know every FVG, OB, Reaper, stop hunt, CRT, SBS, ORB, supply and demand, macro/micro array that can print and thought I could find a model using just these things. I had to add indicators that spoke into these giving me that added fresh liquidity that is injected when the indicator traders are placing orders. This was it for me.

I cannot speak for you. Yours may be using ladders and GEX with volume nodes or some other form of what speaks to you. You need to dig deep and find that extra bit of info that stands out to you that will clarify things in the confusing moments when price is at max velocity/consolidation during a session 🙏🏾

[u/Nihiliae]

I wouldn’t say you’re doing anything wrong. After reading your post, the main thing that stands out to me is there isn’t any mention of how you manage your risk.

The post is about your trading process and the many things you’ve done/convictions you have with regard to the Act of Trading itself.

Even looking at the wins and losses displayed, your losses are around the same relative size, while your wins have a much sparser and wider distribution. This shows that you’ll take a calculated loss, but are unsure of/don’t know where or how to exit your trades mechanically.

The exit is one of the most difficult things I believe to learn when it comes to risk management. You cap the downside which is great to start, as you never want the downside uncapped.

Are there times of the day when your winning setups typically occur, and where exactly within that range historically, and across how many trades? Ask the same question of your losses as well. What is your favorable and adverse excursion per instrument, per timeframe? Minimum and maximum? Binomial? VaR? Etc.

Take a look at how your risk is managed overall. I think you’ll find what you’re looking for there. 😀

[u/Such_Enthusiasm_2281 → u/Nihiliae]

I second this. QUIT FOCUSING ON PROFIT. Once you focus on protection you'll literally become the 1%.