Quote from Flashboy:
Dbp,
When you say clearly denined goals.. do you mean monetary goals???
I guess my system rules aren't specific enough.. I do have to make a determination a signal is generated.
Maybe this is also part of the problem..
The goals need not be monetary. They can be net points per contract. Either way, I assume you've determined whether or not the system you're using enables you to reach those goals. If it doesn't, then you need either to revise your goals and re-examine your system.
As for the system itself, it need not tell you exactly what you should do with each and every setup if you have reached the level where you can be discretionary and continue to reach your goals. However, if you're trying to reach that discretionary level without having nailed down certain behaviors relating to objectivity and consistency, then you're likely to become so entangled in doubts and anxieties that your wins and losses become more or less random, and that's no recipe for success.
You've mentioned several bar intervals, trigger mechanisms, and system objectives. But you haven't - unless I missed it - been specific about entry, stops, etc.
Therefore, I suggest that you decide exactly what your goals are for the month, then work that down to the week and day. Find a mechanical system that enables you to reach those goals (and by "mechanical", I mean that it tells you exactly what the setup should look like and exactly what you should do when you see one). Then test the system in order to determine whether or not it performs as it's supposed to. When you've reached a point where you can trust it, then follow it. If you can't follow it, then the problem is most likely psychological, and that's a different road.
Think about all of this first, however, before getting into all the psychological angst. Perhaps your boxers are in a twist simply because you haven't revisited your goals lately. Or your system isn't internally consistent.
As with a car that won't start, don't take it apart until you've determined whether or not there's gas in the engine. Look for the simple fix first. Even if there are difficult problems to be fixed, they will be easier to deal with if the preliminaries are out of the way.
