There are new opportunities today for traders to bank.
And you’re in a perfect position. Even while I’m away from the chat…
You should be excited!
You don’t need me to hold your hand for you to improve as a trader. Keep your chin up.
Besides, I’ll be back on Monday.
After 21 years of marriage, my wife and I are on a 5-day trip with no kids, no charts, and no alerts.
But my stepping away won’t slow your growth… In fact, it can speed it up.
When I stop sending trade alerts, you get room to think. And thinking is one of the rarest skills in this business.
During market hours, everything moves quickly. That makes it tempting to blindly follow trade alerts.
But a stretch of time without my alerts forces you to study what works, fix what isn’t, and grow more self-sufficient.
So while I’m gone, use this opportunity.
Here are five ways to grow while I’m out:
1. Replay Your Last 10 Trades
Pull up your last 10 trades and walk through them one by one.
I keep a simple journal:
- The name.
- The setup.
- What I saw.
- How I felt.
- How it played out.
When I’m studying, I scroll back and ask one question: would I take this same trade again?
Judge the process, not the outcome. Was the entry clean? Did the volume confirm it? Was it a true breakout? Did you follow your risk rules, or did you get cute?
You’ll be surprised how many trades feel smart in the moment and fall apart once the adrenaline fades.
No journal yet? Open a spreadsheet or grab a legal pad and start this weekend.
Future-you sends their gratitude.
2. Mark Up Your Charts
The sharpest traders treat a chart like a whiteboard.
Mark it up with:
- Support.
- Resistance.
- Trendlines.
- Ranges.
- Risk zones.
- Even the spots where you’d never take a trade.
Pull up the names you’ve been watching and start drawing. Mark the levels that keep showing up, the pivots where price hesitated, and the range it’s been stuck in.
Make sure to go back two or three months for the bigger picture, too.
When you mark the chart yourself, you remember it much better, and you walk in with a clean map for future price action.
3. Study One Pattern Until You Can’t Unsee It
I’ve traded breakouts and pullbacks for over 20 years, and I keep coming back to them because they repeat.
I know the volume they carry. I know the candles that tend to lead. I know what a clean setup looks like, and I know the red flags.
If you’re still building your style, pick one pattern and drill it. Pull up 10 examples on your platform, screenshot them, and mark what made each one work.
The goal is exposure. The more reps you log with a clean setup, the faster your brain flags the real ones, and the quicker you skip the fakeouts.
4. Step Away and Touch Grass
I’m living this one right now.
I’m unplugging for the whole trip: five days, no screens, my full attention on my bride.
You don’t need 5 days. A break every few hours, or a single day off, does wonders for your account and your head.
But there’s a difference between zoning out on your phone and a real rest. You need the kind that clears your mind and brings you back sharper.
Get outside. Come back to earth. And remember H.A.L.T.: if you’re Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, step away from the screen.
Clear thinking comes first. The clean trades follow.
5. Explore a New Corner of the Market
Look at a part of the market that you usually ignore.
A fresh perspective can unlock a fix for your current strategy, or hand you a whole new one to add to your arsenal.
A new lens never hurts. If you want to see how the other side trades while I’m gone, I’ll save your seat here.
Use the time that I’m gone to review, mark up your charts, study, rest, and explore new strategies.
Be good (and be good to others),
Ben Sturgill
*Past performance does not indicate future results. Not typical.
