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Coffee-Thoughts Series

Coffee Thoughts – When Boredom Becomes Expensive

by Gav Leave a Comment

There’s a special kind of boredom that only traders know.

You’re flat. No setups. Just candles drifting.
But you’re still there… staring at the screen.
Waiting. Clicking. Fidgeting.

Then comes the itch:
“What if I just take this small one…?”

You know it’s not in the plan.
But it gives you something to do.
Something to feel.

And that’s how boredom becomes expensive.

I’ve blown more money from “just one quick trade” than I have from bad setups.
Not because the trade was terrible.
But because it came from the wrong place.

Boredom trading feels productive.
It’s not.

It’s gambling disguised as participation.

Real discipline isn’t just about managing losses.
It’s about managing inactivity.

Here’s what helped me:

  • Close the charts when nothing’s there.
  • Walk. Stretch. Journal.
  • Let the market come to you.

You don’t get paid for clicking.
You get paid for waiting well — and acting when it’s time.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If you’re stuck in the boredom trap, revisit your playbook. Fewer setups, more clarity.

Filed Under: Back to Basic, blogs, Coffee-Thoughts Series

Coffee Thoughts – Analysis is Not a Therapy Session

by Gav Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Back to Basic, blogs, Coffee-Thoughts Series

Coffee Thoughts – Respect the Micro Account

by Gav Leave a Comment

I used to think trading micro lots was a joke.

Too small. Too slow. “Not real trading.”

That was my ego talking.

Here’s what micro accounts really teach you:
Discipline. Precision. Patience.

You don’t get to muscle your way through mistakes.
You don’t get lucky with size.
You can’t afford to skip journaling or wing it — every trade has to count.

There’s no room for cowboy trading when your position is measured in cents.

But that’s exactly what makes it powerful.

Because if you can stay consistent with a $300 account,
you’ve already built the habits that scale.

Risk control. Emotional stability. Setup selection.
That’s the work. The lot size is just the volume knob.

Big accounts magnify.
Micro accounts reveal.

So yeah, I respect the small.
Because that’s where the real work starts.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If you’re building from the ground up, my Back to Basics of Trading series might give you a head start.

Filed Under: blogs, Coffee-Thoughts Series

Coffee Thoughts – Winning Streak? You’re Not a Genius

by Gav Leave a Comment

You’re on a roll.

Every setup clicks. Entries are sharp. Exits even better.
It feels like you’ve cracked it.

That’s the danger zone.

Because after a few wins, ego shows up dressed as confidence.
And suddenly, you’re not trading the plan anymore — you’re trading the feeling.

You stop journaling. You loosen risk rules. You skip confirmations.
Why? Because “I’ve got this.”

I’ve been there.

And I’ve burned accounts faster after hot streaks than during cold ones.

When you’re losing, fear keeps you cautious.
When you’re winning, pride pushes you off balance.

The market doesn’t care if you’re on fire or freezing.
It just wants to know – can you manage yourself today?

Wins don’t make you invincible.
They make you vulnerable, if you let them.

So next time you’re stacking green days?
Take the win. But don’t get cute.

Stay boring. Stay sharp. Stay dangerous, in control, not hyped up.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If you’ve had a few good trades lately, go read your risk rules again. Then check if you’re actually following them.

Filed Under: blogs, Coffee-Thoughts Series, Learn Trading

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.

Filed Under: Back to Basic, blogs, Coffee-Thoughts Series

Coffee Thoughts – Don’t Trade to Prove Something

by Gav Leave a Comment

At some point, I stopped trading the market and started trading my ego.

I wouldn’t have said that out loud back then.

But looking back, it was obvious.

I wasn’t trading setups. I was trading to prove I was smart.

That I could bounce back.

That I was right and the market was wrong.

That I could silence the doubt in my own head, or someone else’s voice.

You can guess how that went.

Forced trades. Oversized positions. Revenge entries that made no sense.

All because I needed the win; not because the trade made sense.

When your identity gets tied to the outcome of one trade, you’re not a trader.

You’re just a gambler in denial.

This game doesn’t reward pride. It rewards process.

Now? I trade what’s there. Not what I wish was there.

I let the win or loss be what it is, data.

Not a statement about me.

The market doesn’t care what you’re trying to prove.

And the more you try to prove, the worse your decisions get.

So here’s a quiet reminder:

You don’t need to prove anything.

Just trade well.

— Gav, with coffee

Side note: If you’re working on detaching emotions from execution, check out my Back to Basics of Trading series — it’s built for that.

Filed Under: blogs, Coffee-Thoughts Series, Learn Trading

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