Common mistakes at the three month mark

[Shadow Trader]

Three months in, the early excitement has worn off, and a distinctive set of mistakes tends to appear.

Strategy hopping is the first. A few bad weeks and the system gets abandoned for the next shiny idea, never giving any approach a fair sample.

Position size creep is the second. A small streak of wins and size doubles, without any change in skill or edge.

Indicator overload follows, with charts that resemble a Christmas tree and signals that contradict each other.

Neglecting costs is the fourth. Results look fine until spread and commission are counted.

Skipping the journal is the fifth. Without records, the same mistakes repeat for months.

The sixth is comparing results with others online, which breeds either envy or overconfidence.

Fortunately, every one of these is fixable, and recognizing them early makes a big difference.

Three months is also when the first real emotional test arrives, usually a drawdown after an early winning streak. Those who recover from it with a calm review, not a strategy change, tend to be the ones still trading a year later.

Which mistakes showed up around the three month mark, and which one cost the most?