12.05.2025
This journal documents my personal trading experience, thoughts, and emotions throughout the day. It includes a full session recording and a short reflection on the setups, decisions, and lessons learned. The goal is consistency, self-awareness, and long-term growth — not perfection.
— Hipi Trader
📅 Trading Journal – [12.05.2025]
🎥 Full Live Session Recording Included Below
🎯 Session Summary
The day opened with a strong risk‑on tone: Nasdaq‑100 gapped +1.5 %, WTI crude jumped, and Bitcoin followed. Gold gapped –1 %.
I executed eight early scalp trades (all green) during the Asia → EU follow‑through. Later, two additional trades: one textbook win, one stopped out. Net P/L finished essentially flat—but with zero drawdown at any point, thanks to tight risk controls.
🧠 Reflections & Feelings
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Hesitation at the US open cost me the short I’d anticipated; the correction came but I watched from the sidelines.
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Work distractions meant I wasn’t fully present—yet I still felt compelled to trade.
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The VIX falling as much as –16 % while Nasdaq sold off initially reminded me how sentiment (and algos) can flip once the volatility bid dries up.
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Trust: I recognised the sell early, trimmed too soon, then oversized on a later entry. Next time I’ll stick with the first conviction and size consistently.
📊 Market Insight
| Instrument | Open Gap | Close | Daily Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nasdaq‑100 | +1.5 % | +4.0 % | Strong follow‑through after deep intraday dip. |
| WTI Crude | +1.3 % | +1.5 % | EU‑session profit‑taking knocked it off the highs. |
| Gold (XAUUSD) | –1.0 % | –2.7 % | Couldn’t recover; brief support late US. |
| VIX | n/a | –16 % | Persistently compressed—fuelled the late‑day rally. |
| Fear & Greed | n/a | 66 (Greed) | Historically precedes institutional profit‑taking. |
🏆 Key Wins
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8/8 winning scalps in the morning run‑up.
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Maintained intraday net positive exposure at all times.
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Analytical read on VIX/Nasdaq relationship was spot‑on and will inform future setups.
📌 Closing Stats
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Total trades: 10
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Win / Loss: 9 : 1
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Day P/L: ≈ Breakeven (fees only)
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Max drawdown: 0 %
💡 Key Lesson
Consistency in size and conviction beats chasing the “perfect” entry.
The trade I skipped matched my system; the one I oversized didn’t. Result: same P/L, more stress. Quality > quantity, again.
👣 Final Note
Today reinforced the power of disciplined risk and the danger of half‑focused trading. I’ll protect my mental bandwidth tomorrow—quality setups, systematic size, and full attention only.
— Hipi Trader
🎥 Session Video Watch the full live session replay below: