What is a BULL Flag Charting Pattern and How to draw it? 1/8This is video 1/8 of this series of BULLISH Chart Patterns.
A bull flag is a continuation pattern that appears in a strong uptrend, signaling that the prevailing upward trend may continue. Here's how it looks:
Flag Pole: A sharp, steep rise in price forms the flag pole.
Flag: A period of consolidation with lower highs and lower lows, forming a flag that slopes against the prevailing uptrend.
Breakout: A strong move upwards out of the flag, confirming the continuation of the uptrend.
The bull flag pattern is popular among traders because it provides clear entry and exit points and is relatively easy to identify. It's a great indicator for momentum traders looking to capitalize on the continuation of a bullish trend.
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Stay tuned for the other 7 BULLISH CHARTING PATTERNS
Tutorials
Mastering the Anchored Volume Profile: Setup & Tutorial on TVMastering the Anchored Volume Profile: Setup & Tutorial on TradingView 📊
The Anchored Volume Profile is a powerful tool that traders use to visualize volume distribution over a specified price range, providing critical insights into market behavior. Here’s a detailed description of its setup and usage on TradingView:
In this video, we will be going in-depth into the following areas:
What is the Anchored Volume Profile?
The Anchored Volume Profile is a specialized indicator that helps traders understand the distribution of traded volume at different price levels. Unlike traditional volume profiles that analyze data over a fixed time period, the anchored version allows traders to anchor the volume analysis to specific bars, candles, or price points.
Why Use the Anchored Volume Profile?
Identifying Support and Resistance Levels: You can easily identify key support and resistance levels by analyzing where the most volume has been traded.
Spotting Trends and Reversals: High-volume nodes can indicate areas of strong interest, helping to predict potential trend continuations or reversals.
Improving Entry and Exit Points: Knowing where the market participants are most active can significantly enhance your decision-making process for entries and exits.
How to set up the Anchored Volume Profile on TradingView:
Add the Anchored Volume Profile Indicator:
Click on the “Indicators” button at the top of the chart.
Search for “Anchored Volume Profile” in the search bar.
Select it from the list and apply it to your chart.
Anchor the Indicator:
Click on the anchor icon that appears on the chart.
Drag it to the specific bar, candle, or price point where you want to start your volume analysis.
Customize Settings:
Adjust the settings to suit your trading style. You can modify the range, color, and other parameters to better visualize the data.
Using the Anchored Volume Profile:
Analyzing Volume Nodes: Identify high and low volume nodes. High volume nodes often act as support or resistance, while low volume nodes might indicate potential breakout areas.
Understanding Market Sentiment: See where the majority of trading activity has taken place to gauge market sentiment.
Making Informed Decisions: Use the insights from the volume profile to make better-informed trading decisions regarding entries, exits, and stop-loss levels.
EUR/JPY, AUD/JPY, EUR/AUD and USD/CHF on watch for me today.EUR/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry after a phase line break on either the fifteen minute or the one hour chart.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and it does so impulsively, then I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price only pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
AUD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry after a phase line break on either the fifteen minute or the one hour chart.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and it does so impulsively, then I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price only pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
EUR/AUD:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking to get long with a risk entry after a phase line break on either the fifteen minute or the one hour chart.
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower trend line and it does so impulsively, then I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back up followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get long with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price only pushes down to and ideally just below our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back up followed by a tight flag and then I'll again be looking to get long with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
USD/CHF:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price simply impulses back down below our lower rayline and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll once again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price simply impulses back down below our most recent corrective channel and it starts to correct but it doesn't correct below our lower rayline, then I'll be waiting for this correction to turn into a one hour flag and then I'll once again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
GBP/AUD, NZD/JPY, AUD/JPY and CHF/JPY on watch for me today.GBP/AUD:
• If price impulses down below the upper trend line of our most recent piece of structure, it does so in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our lower rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above the upper trend line of our most recent piece of structure and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
CHF/JPY:
• If price pushes up above the upper descending trend line of our most recent piece of structure and about the wick to the left, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
GBP/USD, AUD/JPY, NZD/JPY and USD/JPY on watch for me today.GBP/USD:
• If price pushes up to give us a confirmed second top and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes up to give us a confirmed second top and the last part of the move is impulsive, then I'll be awaiting a subsequent convincing impulse down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place either of these trades.
AUD/JPY:
• If price pushes down to give us a confirmed second bottom and then it pushes up to give us a confirmed second top and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes down to give us a confirmed second bottom and then it pushes up to give us a confirmed second top and the last part of the move is impulsive, then I'll be awaiting a subsequent convincing impulse down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place either of these trades.
NZD/JPY:
• If price pushes down to give us a more horizontal pair of bottoms and then it pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then so long as the last part of this move up is corrective I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry after a phase line break on the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes down to give us a more horizontal pair of bottoms and then it pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline then so long as this move up is impulsive I'll be awaiting an impulse back down below it followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place either of these trades.
USD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our higher time frame rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down below both it and the lower ascending trend line of the corrective channel to the left followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
GBP/JPY, EUR/JPY and USD/CAD on watch for me today.GBP/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking for a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes up impulsively to and ideally just above our upper trend line, then I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down below our rayline followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
EUR/JPY
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking for a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes up impulsively to and ideally just above our upper trend line, then I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down below our rayline followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
USD/CAD
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking for a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower rayline, then regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back up followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price only pushes down to our upper rayline, then again regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back up followed by a tight flag where I'll again be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
NZD/USD and GBP/USD on watch for me today.NZD/USD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking for a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes up impulsively to and ideally just above our upper trend line , then I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down below our rayline followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
GBP/USD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking for a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart.
• If price pushes up impulsively to and ideally just above our upper trend line , then I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down below our rayline followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
GBP/USD on watch for me today.GBP/USD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our upper trend line and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking for a risk entry after a phase line break on either the one hour or the fifteen minute chart because we will have had a completed three touch structure.
• If price pushes up impulsively to and ideally just above either our upper trend line, our upper rayline or our lower rayline, then I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag and if the flag forms just below our lower rayline as illustrated I'll be hiding my stop loss above it for extra protection as illustrated.
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our lower rayline, then regardless of how price does so I'll be waiting for a convincing push back down followed by a tight flag where I'll be looking for a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If none of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place any of these trades.
SOYBN/USD and NZD/CHF on watch for me today.SOYBN/USD:
• If price pushes up above our upper rayline, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/CHF:
• If price impulses down below our rayline, it does so in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/USD, USD/SGD, EUR/CAD and USD/CAD on watch for me today.AUD/USD:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below the lower descending trend line of our most recent piece of structure, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back up followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get long with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price simply impulses back up above our rayline, it does so in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place either of these trades.
USD/SGD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
EUR/CAD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price simply impulses back down, it does so in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place either of these trades.
USD/CAD:
• If price impulses down below our rayline and it does so in a convincing manner, then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of a subsequent tight flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
WTICO/USD, USD/JPY and AUD/USD on watch for me today.WTICO/USD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our outer structure upper rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If price only pushes up to and ideally just above the upper rayline of our most recent piece of structure, then regardless of how it does so I'll once again be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll again be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If neither of these setups present themselves then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place either of these trades.
USD/JPY:
• If price impulses back down below the upper trend line of our most recent piece of structure, it does so in a convincing manor and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
AUD/USD:
• If price impulses back up, it does so impulsively and in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
EUR/JPY, USD/JPY and USD/CAD on watch for me today.EUR/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back down followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
USD/JPY:
• If price continues to correct between now and I'm awake to place the order then I'll be looking to get short with a reduced risk entry on the break of this tight one hour flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
USD/CAD:
• If price breaks the upper descending trend line of our most recent piece of structure, it does so impulsively and in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag.
• If this setup doesn't present itself then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place this trade.
USD/SGD, NZD/USD and AUD/USD on watch for me today.USD/SGD:
• If price impulses back down below our upper rayline, it does so in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/USD:
• If price pushes back up above our lower rayline, it does so impulsively and in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/USD:
• If price pushes back up above the lower trend line of our most recent piece of structure, it does so impulsively and in a convincing manner and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/CAD, EUR/JPY, NZD/USD and AUD/USD on watch for me today.AUD/CAD:
• If price corrects and a tight flag forms, or it impulses up still further and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
EUR/JPY:
• If price corrects and a tight flag forms, or it impulses up still further and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/USD:
• If price corrects and a tight flag forms, or it impulses up still further and a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/USD:
• If price pushes up above our most recent high, it does so impulsively and in a convincing manner, it then corrects and a tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
How to find strong Support and Resistance levels using MA.Hey Traders!
Above is a brief video in which i explain a simple way to find strong support and resistance zones using the moving average indicator starting from bigger timeframes to smaller ones.
i hope this video is useful for you!
let us know your questions in the comment section!
Joe.
Why Traders Suffer From Analysis Paralysis In TradingAnalysis-Paralysis In Trading This is an article I’ve been avoiding. Maybe it’s cos’ I’m guilty of it.
You know, A bunch of knowledge makes—jack cross the rubicon.
It’s December 1, 1990. ugh… what a glorious day! I mean—I’m grateful I survived. Are you? (rhetorically—cos’ I talk to myself a lot). Anyway, I finally get to attend “School of Candles” in Pretoria.
South Africa is a great country but, only because they have one of the best—Trading schools in the world. Hashtag “respectfully” .
I mean—Finally! Heh… I’m here. The Oakland… miserable red-collar guy is here. Can you believe it? Considering all the blown accounts and failed trades—I finally left the country to… South Africa.
Pfft… Don’t mind my excitement—at least—I’m not sitting on my a*s reading this article because I have a problem. You are!
i’m pretty sure you haven’t travelled out yet and it’s cos’ you keep losing. You’re a loser! At least… someone had to tell you.
Don’t worry that makes two of us. Yeah—you and uh… you!
Ugh… duh… I know you are not here for my—school of candles story. You’re here cos—you are stuck!
Am I right?
Anyway, I’ll help I promise. But, you have to promise me that I won’t be wasting my time. Do you promise? Okay—Great.
So…
Analysis Paralysis In Trading (What Does That Even Mean?)
Look at them… so peaceful. Quick question—Have you ever really stopped to watch kids play? The laughter, glee, ambience, passion—so peaceful; so serene!
These guys literally have nothing to worry about. Don’t you miss that?
When last did you laugh? No… like actually laugh. These days—we have to watch a funny illiterate online to… crack up. How miserable can one’s life be?
So sad; so depressing and why’s that?
I don’t know about you—but, I miss those days. Nothing to worry about.
You’re probably wondering, “What’s he on about?”… I just had to remind you of what your life (hopefully you’re still breathing)… is supposed to feel like. Before… I tell you how it actually feels like. That’s why you’re here right.
Shucks. Analysis paralysis—wonder who comes up with these names. In a lame man’s term, it’s basically being paralyzed (not literally) from over-thinking. over-researching and over-analyzing…
Why do we do these things; why do we even do anything. Imagine the thought of—mentally paralyzing yourself… Do you love yourself at all? Of course not—Humans (you reading this now) think of the possible worst for—every situation.
Imagine… You go out and a complete stranger gives you money, from nowhere; out of the blue. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Be honest, Don’t lie.
That’s what I thought.
Anyway, Being completely mind-paralyzed is bad. I mean … have you seen—how they have to literally drive paralyzed people everywhere… They become furnitures (not trying to be insensitive); they really can’t do anything… on their own.
You’ll end up—A furniture trader!
Analysis Paralysis In Trading (How Can You Tell?)
In school (school of candles), I attended every class. Wyckoff 101, Fibonacci 203 (borrowed course), Way of the candles, Price-action 105, Order blocks and Market structures 103, Supply and Demand, Indicators not manipulators… Weird ones! I took all.
Trust me —I was a diligent student. But, I had no direction.
I practically learned everything and anything. I mean—I wanted to be a great trader (don’t we all).
The next class (Final year) required… Mastery. I realized that—sticking to one thing was a problem. Oh! No, I can’t choose. I literally attended all classes—just to find out what was best for me—even after taking these classes… in my first year.
Hello Jane, I know this is kind of awkward… But, what’s your major?
Uh… Order blocks.
Imagine! I couldn’t even come up with something. What the H-E-L-L do you want Jamal? You’re just going round in circles.
I couldn’t choose. Wanted to take action but, how could I? No one gave me the memo. I don’t even know what making decisions feels like. “Making Decisions” suddenly sounds like the strangest word in—the dictionary.
So, tell me have you been in this position. All you keep doing is learning—anything; everything. But, no actions!
Two ways you can tell:
Can’t seem to make a decision.
Always looking for a better solution—without actions!
For analysis paralysis in trading It’s not something you can cheat. As a trader, You can’t go over or under it—Dealing with it is… the only solution.
You keep delaying actions—whilst over-analyzing every situation. For this trader—you keep imaging downsides… Always the negatives; never positives. Imagine taking a trade—but, you’ve already imagined—300 scenarios of your plan going badly.
Pfft… heh—who does that? Uh! you. You’re literally mentally paralyzed. What other options do you have than over-thinking everything.
Are You Asking The Right Questions?
Ta-ta… I envy them so much. Anyway, You learn to be in the comfort zone because…
Why stress your brain till it’s paralyzed. Your brain is literally “yours truly”—It would always try to keep your safe. It will protect you, which is good. But, you become safe and unsuccessful.
In trading, which do you prefer?
Actually making a decision irrespective of the outcome or… staying out and avoiding everything.
I mean if we’re being honest—the second option looks safe and comfortable. Will you choose that though? Remember you want to be rich; you want financial freedom.
Even if you go through hell—do it without hesitations.
Yup—That quote is a reference to the previous sentence. Eh… your lack of decision making will only make you—miss out on a million market opportunities. So, are you asking the right questions?
When you literally ask yourself the right questions… It gives room for a clearer thought process and faster decision-making.
Honestly though—Let’s blame google.
An increase in options; an increase in choice. The fear of making the wrong choice arises. Then you become mentally paralyzed.
Most traders today are stuck.
I remember meeting a guy (Joe)—In one of my trading communities—in school. This guy found it hard to make a decision. Heh… So he buys and sells at the same time.
Analysis paralysis in trading can make you a fan of gambling. But, there’s a solution…
You can start by answering the right questions. What are the right questions?
Is it worth the risk?
Will it matter in 5 minutes?
What was my first choice?
Can you answer these questions? Make it a habit to answer these questions before—you take a trade. Not just trading—anything at all… Train that brain of yours.
Is It Worth The Risk?
You know some-times the best way to eliminate choices is to—know the risk attached to each choice. Imagine having a $50 account (your only money) and trying to take a trade. You’ll probably over-think every thing because—you just can’t lose that money. I mean… Heh—that’s all you have right?
So, the first question should be… “If I take this trade, is it worth the risk”. Note that… you might lose—but, the keyword here is “risk”. How much are you willing to let go of?… That should be the first thought.
Try this exercise and you have to be truthful—always!… If I was given $50 and I was told to give someone $5 (out of your $50)… Would I be okay with that?
If you will, then you can decide to risk 10% of that account—knowing that you won’t feel bad if you lose.
Ergo, You’ve just made a decision—because you eliminated your options.
I mean losing 10% of $50 is better than losing all.
Now what next? you need to eliminate all trades that will make you lose more than 10%. See, No mulling— just progress.
Note that… Not all trades are negatives. But, we should always consider the risk.
Will It Matter In 5 Minutes?
Now you know the risk you’re willing to take, the next question is—Will it matter in 5 minutes?
Ever heard of the “5 by 5 rule”?
Well, the 5 by 5 rule states that—if you come across an issue take a moment to think—whether or not it will matter in 5 years. If it won’t, don’t spend more than 5 minutes stressing out about it.
Forget the “5 years”—My own 5 by 5 rules is… don’t waste 5 seconds pondering over it, if it won’t matter in 5 minutes. Mine works right?
I mean… 5 years is a pretty long period you know. By the way, the market waits for no man. The fact of the matter is, there are some problems that do not need your full attention.
Why stress over some money you’re okay losing. If after 5 seconds you’re cool with it then—go ahead!
Do me a favor. Let’s practice… Um—can you remember what you just did 5 seconds ago? If you can, it matters; If you can’t, “It’s irrelevant and doesn’t matter. There, fixed right!
What Was My First Choice?
The human mind is like a sick computer virus.
It’s basically, randomly, just processing relevant and irrelevant informations and thoughts. You tend to have all these choices, thoughts and feelings all mixed up—especially during pressure. I was listening to Roger Khoury the other day and he said, “When driving a car in a—calm state—you’re basically just following the rules of the road right? But, what happens when you’re late for a meeting—You find yourself breaking all these rules.”
Similarly… same applies to the market. You don’t have time; you’re supposed to make a decision—If not, the market leaves you.
Then if you’re like me that attended all classes in—Pretoria, you probably don’t have a particular strategy. Different options; different opinions. What happens?
You become paralyzed!
All this can be avoided if you remember your first choice. Many traders fail to understand that our gut feelings, our instincts—matter.
Where do instincts come from?
In as much as the brain behaves sick sometimes—It also stores useful informations… knowingly or unknowingly. These useful informations are usually processed when needed.
Do you ever know something and wonder—how you know that thing?
It’s cos’ you probably already came across that stuff but, you ignored it. Cos’—It didn’t matter. But, look who wasn’t ignorant “your brain” yeah, remember… “Yours truly” loves you.
Those first choices… are thought of for a reason. So, make them your last resort—always!
Havoc Of Analysis Paralysis In Trading
Hey guys, my name is Jamal and I’m a victim of Analysis Paralysis in trading … “Hey Jamal”…
Sounds familiar. Yeah, group home.
My encounter with Analysis Paralysis in trading wasn’t a great one. There were consequences. Each with its own baggage.
After I narrowly graduated from the School of Candles, Pretoria. I mean I’ve learnt everything—I was ready for the market.
On Tuesday, May 3, 1994, I deposited $50,000 to my trading account. As a graduate of School of Candles—what was the next thing? To get into the real world of trading .
A nasty encounter in the market occurred. I found a GJ (gbp/jpy) trade, the daily had a bearish head and shoulder, the—4 hour, a double bottom. On my chart, I had Bollinger bands, Moving averages, Relative strength index… Name it.
Yeah —I was that confused. Didn’t know if to—buy or sell. Oh! No, a clash of interest.
My indicators… some gave me buy signals; others sell signals. Oh my God! What now? What’s the direction—Now I’m exhausted, tired, I can’t think straight!
The market decides to buy… Yeah, I guess I’ll go long now.
The sound your phone makes when you just placed a trade. Greedy old Jamal, used 2 standards for US30 on a $50,000 account. I was more than confident.
The market does it thing. What! no… no… n0—Why is there a sell taking place now? No!
The Havoc
That’s it… That was so easy I lost it all.
Everything! “What was the point of school then?” I thought. Useless! You’re so useless Jamal. You can’t get anything right.
I couldn’t make a decision… My brain said, “Pause”. I was paralyzed and I failed. Three things happened to me:
My trading performance reduced
Creativity was gone. Couldn’t decide on a strategy and all patterns became useless.
Lost my willpower. I couldn’t make a decision—too many options.
Thank you for listening! “Thanks for sharing Jamal”.
How To Overcome—Final Words
Don’t ask me what I went to a group home to do. Analysis paralysis in trading affects you mentally—It builds into a habit and you become the hesitant trader.
Do you remember him? That guy who couldn’t make decisions, that insecure coward. Yeah—that was who I became.
June 23, 1994, I was in bed. Thinking, crying, staring—”What went wrong?”, I thought. How come… I mean i’ve gone to one of the best schools, learnt everything there is to learn, and graduated with a 2:1. So, what exactly is the problem.
I discover that—I was.
“Jamal you are the problem”—I discovered 6 things. These 6 things I’m going to tell you are very important. I’m telling you because—I love you.
You shouldn’t follow my past; you shouldn’t make my mistakes. My mom’s teaching helped. Remember when she gave me the trading elements and principles…
Steps To Overcoming This Nuisance.
This is the truth; this is my truth. After a month I discovered that:
You need to trust you. No one else opinion matters in the business of trading. It’s your business—You should mind it.
Limit the amount of research (information you consume) you do. It’s called “learn and earn” for a reason—Not “Learn and continue learning”.
Talk to someone. If you think you’re stagnant, you need to pour out all those information—on someone. Teach them!
Perfection isn’t the key. Progress is!
Know your end goal always.
Notice every thoughts and emotions. If possible, write them down.
If you follow this manual, you should never have reason to be stuck or mentally paralyzed. Remember sharing is caring!
Tell someone about this article. Most traders have no idea what analysis paralysis in trading is.
USD/SGD, AUD/CAD and AUD/USD on watch for me today.USD/SGD:
• If price pushes down below our most recent low, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/CAD:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get long with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just above a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/USD:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back up followed by a tight flag and then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
SOYBN/USD and EUR/GBP on watch for me today.SOYBN/USD:
• If price corrects and a tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
EUR/GBP:
• If price pushes up above our rayline, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
EUR/GBP, USD/JPY, EUR/NZD and SOYBN/USD on watch for me today.EUR/GBP:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get long with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just above a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
USD/JPY:
• If price pushes down below the upper ascending trend line of our most recent piece of structure, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
EUR/NZD:
• If price impulses up above our most recent high, it does so in a convincing manner and a tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
SOYBN/USD:
• If price corrects and a tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
CAD/JPY, EUR/GBP and GBP/NZD on watch for me today.CAD/JPY:
• If price corrects and a tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
EUR/GBP:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get long with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just above a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
GBP/NZD:
• If price pushes down below the upper ascending trend line of our most recent piece of structure, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
USD/JPY and GBP/NZD on watch for me today.USD/JPY:
• If price pushes down below the upper ascending trend line of our higher time frame structure, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
GBP/NZD:
• If price pushes down below our rayline, it does so impulsively a subsequent tight one hour flag forms, then I'll be looking to get short with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
CHF/JPY and EUR/NZD on watch for me today.CHF/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above the upper trend line of our most recent piece of structure and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
EUR/NZD:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below the lower trend line of our most recent piece of structure and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get long with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just above a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our lower rayline, then regardless of how it does so I'll be waiting for a convincing impulse back up followed by a tight one hour flag and then I'll be looking to get long with either a reduced risk entry on the break of the flag or a risk entry within it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/JPY, GBP/CAD and AUD/JPY on watch for me today.NZD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
GBP/CAD:
• If price pushes down to and ideally just below our upper rayline and the last part of the move is corrective, then I'll be looking to get long with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just above a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
AUD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/JPY and NZD/USD on watch for me today.NZD/JPY:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our lower rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.
NZD/USD:
• If price pushes up to and ideally just above our lower rayline and it does so correctively, then I'll be looking to get short with a risk entry either after a phase line break, or just below a one hour or a fifteen minute rejection from it.
• If my entry requirements are not met then I will simply wait until another setup which meets my plan materialises.
• If there's any ambiguity then I will not place a trade on this pair.