Try These Trading Experiments

Exploring Unusual Trading Challenges

Changing the Focus

I like to experiment with trading. Try different ideas, strategies, and approaches. It keeps me motivated, allows me to discover new ideas and new setups, and occasionally uncover a new way to operate. 

What do I mean?

Trying unusual things like:

  1. One trade per day challenge – you can only trade once per day
  2. Buy the low – your sole job is to buy as close to the low as possible
  3. Predict the close – predict where the price will close

Some of these seem ridiculous… “Buy the low?! Yeah ok!” But the idea is to break the way I think about the markets, change the lens I look at price through, and force myself to do something difficult.

It’s amazing how many different things you see when you change your viewpoint.

When you remit is buying the daily low it FORCES you to ask yourself questions you might not have before.

  • What was the prior day’s price action like?
  • Do I expect the low to come early or late in the day?
  • How far from the open could it be?

Today, think about an unusual challenge you could give yourself in trading.

Preferably aligned with a skill you are trying to improve.

  • Are you looking to reduce overtrading? – Give yourself an unreasonable 1 trade per day.
  • Are you wanting to improve your hold times? – Only allow exits at the close.
  • Want to better time entries? – Task yourself with buying within 10% of the low.

We often come into the trading day with an “I need to make money” attitude, which is fine. (That’s our job)

But often changing that focus can really reveal and develop some interesting skills that have a positive impact on your equity curve.