Good traders are innovators. They find better ways to do things. They are creative. They view the same setup or market situation differently and design strategies to extract profit.
Creativity is required to reduce drawdowns or to judiciously use margin to enhance returns. Creativity is also involved in designing entry or exit strategies. If you study successful traders, they have innovated in these areas. They do not follow the most commonly discussed techniques, indicators, or setups the way the vast majority do mindlessly.
There is too much talk in trading communities about discipline and psychology, but not enough focus on creativity.
If you are not creative and innovative as a trader, it is unlikely you will last much longer, even if you focus a lot on discipline or psychology.
Good traders look for good ideas. They are constantly innovating on setups, entry, exit, risk, and other parameters. They always have new and fresh ideas. They hunt for new ideas and try to incorporate them in their trading.
If you want to improve your trading, start generating and collecting new ideas. Fresh ideas will give you a fresh perspective and fresh ways to make money.
This is why every day I start my day with these tools
6/15/2026 Daily Recap: Semiconductor Summer!
- $SMH right back into new ATH's $AMAT $KLAC $LRCX $ARM $INTC $ASML $AMD leading
- $SPCX had a great day 2 and now trading over $220 in the after hours session.
$USO closed down 3% as the US and Iran come to an agreement.
- Memory names all into new closing highs $SNDK $MU $WDC $STX
- Big bounce out of Silver and Gold $SLV $GLD. Not a group I am interested in at the moment but one to watch if it can setup above the 200sma.
$WGMI names are still acting well. $WULF new closing highs. $CIFR $HUT $APLD
- I am interested in software names $DDOG $SNOW $OKTA etc but they just cannot seem to hold a strong bid. They have all gotten tight here so they will stay on watch until we break in either direction.
- Worth watching to see if we can get a tight day or two out of a name like INTC. Names that have built bases are the first ones I would like to own.
- I found it far too difficult to chase a gap up today so I just sat on the sidelines
Sentiment is saying the bottom of this pullback is close if not in already. Again not a precise timing indicator but AAII bulls just dropped to the same level as when the Iran mess started!
I also noticed an uptick on some of the put/call measures I watch so it would seem the wall of worry is still firmly in place. None of this is consistent with a market that is going to melt down, let alone even top.
If you like $NVDA, you want to see buyers step in soon. Relative to the Nasdaq, the stock is flirting with a breakdown. Given its massive weighting and leadership role, that’s not the type of action you want to see if you're bullish on the broader market over the coming months.
Novice and aspiring market speculators think the magic is found in trade identification.
The "what" and "when" components of trading -- while necessary -- represent only about 5% of a trader's "edge."
Yet aspiring traders spend 80% of their time, energy, hopes and fears on trade identification and the next trade.
The real landmine in trading is self-sabotage. Dealing with human emotions is the battle line that matters.
You want to know yourself, I mean really know yourself -- the good, the bad and the ugly?
Become a trader.
This is why all the trading services who talk about their last trade (made 250% on XYZ) is such an absolute joke.
Trading services who talk about their winners are trading services you must avoid at all costs.
The real enemy in trading is self.
You want to know your biggest enemy to trading success? Well, just look in a mirror. It is you, not what you know or don't know, that keeps you from gaining traction in trading.
After three to five years of experience a person should know what they need to do to be profitable. The challenge is actually doing what you know you must do.
The task is overcoming self.
The people who feel the urge to do something every single day are the same ones who give back a months worth of progress during a pullback/consolidation.
"Everyday is a day to lose money, but not everyday is a day to make money" @Qullamaggie
A list of semis sitting on new highs or with very constructive charts.
$RMBS $TER $MXL $MPWR $QCOM $NVTS $SIMO $GFS $ON $MTSI $ADI $LSCC $POWI $AEHR $ASX $AMAT $KLAC $AMKR $UCTT
@RealSimpleAriel How are you approaching a possible entry in these? I’m finding myself trying to be patient for entries, and then the stock just takes off without me. I don’t want to “chase” but man its been tough to be patient
5/30/2026 Daily Recap: Software Strikes back!
- Software Application $TEAM $APPS $SNOW $DOCN $DDOG $FROG
- Software Infrastructure $OKTA $ZETA $SAIL $BAND $PANW $RBRK $CRWD $ORCL $NBIS
- Memory and Semiconductors continue acting well
- Transports $IYT doesn't look like a recession to me $DAL $UAL $OFDL $FDX
- Drones $ONDS $UMAC $RCAT
- Drones names fall into the aerospace and defense group as well which is also leading $UFO $RKLB $ASTS $RDW $LUNR
- Nuclear looks like it's trying to turn back up $URA $URNM $CCJ $UUUU
- Solar a quiet leader $SEDH $ENPH $NXT $TAN
- Industrial metals also at highs $STLD $NUE $CENX $AA $HBM
- There are just far too many groups working well to be negative here.
- I don't suggest chasing price but I continue to think pullbacks can very much be buyable on names holding their respective rising 20 and 50sma!