Any time markets are hitting new all time highs/lows, markets makes odd and wild price patterns. The Indexes, especially ES are choppy but they do make common patterns reoccurring patterns if one studies long enough, I find requiring deeper retracements are needed to keep same risk stops, also doing less trades cause of waiting for deeper retracements.
I prefer to have daily goals of 4-6 points in ES than have unlimited targets. Unlike most, I feel longer term trading commodities is much less risky than day trading, less time, less commissions. I been testing much more in adding onto profitable positions in long term and less so in day trading.
Whether trend lines, price patterns, indicators or combinations, these are all rules we form, rules for risk, rules for what to do after one is in a trade, and unless there are rules, little chance of being profitable.
As time goes by, for those just coming into trading, long term way to go, day trading should be left to those who has ability to really back test and understands the nature of the market they want to trade, the time it takes to become profitable, you most likely could start a business and have it going well by time you can be averaging breakeven trading.
Not really, I have been running my business for 5 years and have only just reached break even, I think with training from someone who is already profitable you could be break even at trading aftre 5 years also, but you need to find someone who is genuine and can actually show you how to progress