Hesitation, missed entries, and the chase that follows
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 6:43 am
A setup appears, the entry is clear, and a moment of doubt delays the click. Price moves a pip or two. The entry is now worse, but the move is still going. Then comes the chase.
Chasing means entering at a worse price with the same stop, which changes the risk to reward for the worse. Many chase trades fail because they enter late in a move that is about to pause.
Alternatively, the hesitation leads to skipping the trade altogether, which then becomes regret. Watching the move play out without a position feels worse than a small loss would have.
The fix is a rule for missed entries. If price has moved more than a set distance from the planned entry, the trade is off. No chasing, no exceptions. A simple limit like 0.5 pips beyond the entry makes the decision automatic.
Tracking missed trades and chased trades separately in the journal shows what each habit costs.
What rule governs missed entries, and is it actually followed?
Chasing means entering at a worse price with the same stop, which changes the risk to reward for the worse. Many chase trades fail because they enter late in a move that is about to pause.
Alternatively, the hesitation leads to skipping the trade altogether, which then becomes regret. Watching the move play out without a position feels worse than a small loss would have.
The fix is a rule for missed entries. If price has moved more than a set distance from the planned entry, the trade is off. No chasing, no exceptions. A simple limit like 0.5 pips beyond the entry makes the decision automatic.
Tracking missed trades and chased trades separately in the journal shows what each habit costs.
What rule governs missed entries, and is it actually followed?