Back to Basic

Coffee Thoughts – Analysis is Not a Therapy Session

I’ve seen traders stack indicators like furniture in a hoarder’s garage.

Moving averages. RSI. MACD. Fib levels. Support zones. Volume profiles.
And still — no trade.

They’ll call it “being thorough.”

But let’s be honest. Most of the time, it’s just stalling.

Analysis becomes a comfort blanket.
The chart gets more complicated, not clearer.
And decisions get pushed further away.

That’s not trading. That’s avoiding.

I’ve done it too.
When confidence is shaky, I start tinkering. Adding lines. Swapping timeframes.
Deep down, I’m just afraid to be wrong.

But trading doesn’t reward overthinking.
It rewards action under pressure.
With a plan. With risk. With consequences.

Analysis is supposed to guide the trade, not replace the decision.

At some point, you’ve got to stop hiding behind the chart and click the damn button.

And if you can’t?

It’s not a strategy issue. It’s a self-trust issue.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If you’re caught in the loop of “almost ready,” my Back to Basics of Trading series might help you clear the noise.

My Clean Chart Philosophy

by Gav Leave a Comment

At one point, I had everything on my chart.

EMAs, MACD, RSI, volume, fibs, support zones, resistance zones.

It felt smart… until it wasn’t.

Too much info just blurred everything.

Now? My charts are almost empty.

Price, levels, maybe a VWAP. That’s it.

Here’s why I stripped it all down — and why I keep it that way.

1. More Lines, More Confusion

I used to think confluence meant confidence.

But really, I was just stacking tools until something said “buy.”

It wasn’t analysis. It was just noise.

When I cleared things out, I saw price more clearly.

And the decisions got easier — not because I was smarter, but because I could finally see.

2. Price First, Always

Everything starts with price now.

Where is it coming from?
Where is it heading?
Who’s likely stuck?

That’s it. I start with a blank chart and build from there.

If something stands out, I’ll bring in VWAP or ADR to double-check.

But only after I’ve made a first read.

3. Indicators Come After the Idea

I don’t let tools drive the trade. They’re just there to confirm what I already see.

So I’ll draw levels, map context — then maybe turn on VWAP, session ranges, or my ADR script.

No fixed rules. Just a simple process that starts with my eyes.

All of this lives in my TradingView template. Clean and quick to load.

4. Visual Calm = Mental Calm

I keep my charts dark. Grey lines, white candles, soft blue zones.

No red-green circus.

If my charts are too loud, I make worse decisions.

So now they’re quiet. On purpose.

5. Clean Charts = Fewer Dumb Trades

This surprised me.

Once I removed all the clutter, I stopped overtrading.

Fewer setups meant fewer forced trades.

It made me wait longer. Be more patient.

Not because I was trying to be disciplined – just because nothing was there to chase.

Clean charts helped build that habit.

Final Thoughts

I don’t think clean charts make you profitable.

But I do think they help you see better and that’s a big deal.

If I need five indicators to believe in a trade, I probably don’t trust the setup.

So now I trade what I can see. And I keep it simple on purpose.

That’s why I use TradingView.

Not because it’s fancy, but because it helps me keep things clean.

—
Gav

Want to try out TradingView for free?
You can set it up right here.

Coffee Thoughts – There’s No “Perfect Setup”

by Gav Leave a Comment

I used to think the perfect setup would solve everything.

The kind of trade where the structure’s clean, price action is obvious, confluence lines up across timeframes, and all the signals say “go.”

So I waited. And waited.

Then watched price take off without me — more times than I care to admit.

Here’s the truth I had to swallow:

Perfect is a fantasy.

Markets aren’t clean. They’re messy, fast, and often unclear.

Clean setups matter. But perfection? That’s procrastination with a halo.

What really matters:

Do you understand your edge?
Can you size the trade properly?
Will you manage it when it moves — or doesn’t?

Good enough with strong risk control beats perfect with hesitation every time.

Now I trade what I see. I manage what comes after. I accept the blur.

Because the edge doesn’t live in waiting for ideal.

It lives in executing well in real conditions.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If your charts feel stuck in “almost,” my Back to Basics of Trading series breaks down how I simplified my setup — and got out of my own way.

Coffee Thoughts – Clean Charts, Clear Mind

by Gav Leave a Comment

Ever walked into a messy kitchen first thing in the morning?

Plates everywhere. Spills on the counter. Half a cup of cold coffee from yesterday.

That’s how most trading charts look.

Overloaded. Cluttered. Confusing.

I used to stack indicators like I was building a sandwich — RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, moving averages from five different timeframes.

It felt like I was doing analysis.
But really, I was just hiding behind the mess.

Too many lines blur your thinking. Too many signals create noise.

A clean chart forces you to see price action for what it is, not what you hope it’ll be.

Once I stripped it down, I started to see structure. Clarity. Flow.

It wasn’t just easier on the eyes. It made my decisions sharper.

Clean charts, clean trades.

Try it. Ditch the clutter. Keep what earns its place.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note:
If you’re rebuilding your charting workflow, TradingView has the flexibility and tools that make a solid place to start.

Cleaning My Charts Like Cleaning My Kitchen

by Gav Leave a Comment

It’s Sunday afternoon. I’m not trading, but I’m doing something just as important.

I’m cleaning the kitchen.

The counter’s a mess. Crumbs under the toaster. A drip trail of coffee from this morning. A few dishes that “look clean enough” until you hold them up to the light.

So I wipe. I rinse. I reset the space.

Not because I’m obsessive.

Because Monday morning is smoother when I walk into a clean kitchen.

And somewhere between scrubbing the sink and resetting the grinder, I realized — I clean my charts the same way.

Mess builds quietly.

One week it’s an extra indicator I’m testing.
Next, it’s a new template I forgot to delete.
A couple of levels I marked but never used.
Suddenly, my chart looks like a supermarket shelf. Overcrowded. Distracting.

So now I build a habit around it.

Each weekend, I clean my charts like I clean my kitchen.

I reset my layout
I clear out old levels
I remove any tool that didn’t earn its keep

Clean space. Clear mind.

It’s not just about looking tidy.

It’s about removing friction.

When I start the session on Monday, I want to see only what matters. Price. Context. Key zones. A few tested tools.

Same way I don’t want to search for a clean mug while half awake.

The best charts are like the best kitchens.

Not fancy. Just functional.

Everything in its place. Nothing that doesn’t belong.

Reset your space, and the routine flows better.

And when routine flows, so does the trading.

Trading Journal or Fantasy Log? How to Actually Use It to Get Better

by Gav Leave a Comment

Are You Journaling or Just Daydreaming?

How to Actually Use a Trading Journal to Improve

Let’s not kid ourselves.

Most trading journals are just organized daydreams.

Spreadsheets filled with screenshots. Notes like “entry was late” or “should’ve waited.”
Maybe a red cell for losers.
Makes you feel productive, right?

But here’s the thing—

If your journal isn’t changing how you trade, it’s just busywork.

I learned that the hard way.

Neat logs. Fancy charts.
Still kept making the same dumb mistakes.

So if you’re tracking trades but not seeing progress, here’s what’s probably missing—and how to fix it.

First—Let’s Clear This Up

A real trading journal isn’t:

A highlight reel
A digital scrapbook
A scoreboard for win rates

It’s a mirror.
Sometimes it shows you things you’d rather not see.
But that’s the point.

Here’s What Actually Works

This is how I use my journal now.
Simple. Real. Actually helpful.

1. **Journal Before You Enter**

If you only write after the trade, you’re already biased.

Start here:

What setup am I trading?
Why now?
Where’s my invalidation?
Am I trading the chart—or my feelings?

If it feels vague, don’t trade it.
Journaling before entry exposes hesitation and half-baked ideas.

Clarity before entry. That’s edge.

2. Capture the Emotion, Not Just the Outcome

This one changed the game for me.

Instead of “TP hit” or “stopped out,” I ask:

Was I confident—or just bored?
Did I hesitate?
Was that revenge?
What was my state of mind?

You don’t need a psychology degree.
You just need to be honest.

Real example:
After two losses, I’d start second-guessing setups.
Same setup, worse timing.
Fix? Halve size after two losses. Focus on execution, not recovery.

Found that pattern from reviewing emotional notes—not trade stats.

3. Review Weekly. Don’t Sugarcoat It

Every Friday, I do a short review.

Here’s what I look for:

Did I follow the plan?
Any emotional trends?
Was I consistent with size?
Did I skip valid trades out of fear?
Did I force any garbage trades?

If the trade made money but broke rules—it’s still a mistake.
Log it that way.

Don’t confuse profits with good trading.

Two Small Additions That Speed Things Up

A. Voice Notes

I started recording a 30-second voice memo right after trades.
No filter. Just talk through what I saw, felt, thought.

It’s raw. But it helps.
Especially when you replay them before the next session.

B. “Would I Take This Again?” Column

Simple column. Yes or no.

If it’s a no, it’s not a valid trade for your playbook.
Cut it. Move on.

Final Thought: Journal to Improve, Not Impress

Your journal isn’t for posting.
It’s not for looking smart.
It’s for making real changes.

If you’re not learning from it, stop decorating it.

Use it to catch patterns. Fix behavior. Sharpen your edge.

That’s the job.

Now—next session, start with a blank note.
Write what you see.
Then write what you felt.
Then write what you’ll do better.

That’s a real trading journal.

Coffee Thoughts – Analysis is Not a Therapy Session