Projects

 One of the things that I like to do is look for patterns or setups that I find in the stock/s that I trade in a day and then go and look for more examples of those setups and see how they reacted in their different environments. I think one of the interesting things about the market is that it allows you to constantly be learning and re-learning. In fact, it forces you to be adapting.  I was trading a stock today that was creating a symmetrical triangle and I didn't trade it as the pattern was playing out (I'd already traded it earlier), but I wanted to see what would happen in the condition that it had. I had an idea that it would trade up because most of the volume was being done above VWAP and then as the price got tighter and tighter it was consolidating  just above vwap. sure enough it broke out on the topside.  But it got me thinking about the other ways this could have setup. The stock had sold off in the morning and recovered into this patter. What if the opposite were the case? Consolidation below VWAP- would it really matter if all of the major market indices and internals were breaking or showing a topside move? The point is - I do this often. And each time I do, I think I am adding to my knowledge base of the market and it's reactions.  I think that even though I may study this pattern now, it may turn out that I need to restudy this pattern in a few months or even earlier because market conditions will have changed. I love the opportunity to learn though and exercise my brain. Back to the point - that I do this often. They are little projects that I assign myself and I think they are worthwhile. What are some little market projects you assign yourself? Any Setups that have paid off studying or wild goose chases that turned up empty? Now I'll start a little bank of setups like this and categorize them as I see fit probably the vix level, Tick levels (area), and so on. Cheers!