The main lesson from today’s trading was simple: when I have a clear target and price reaches it, I take the profit instead of staying in the trade and hoping for more.
Before the market opened, I marked important support and resistance levels on SPY and QQQ. I also considered the trend and the 50-day simple moving average. My goal was not to predict every move. I wanted to create a plan for how I would respond if price reached those levels.
That preparation gave me two possible scenarios on each chart. I had areas where I would consider going long and areas where I would consider going short. However, I was not going to enter just because price touched a level. I wanted to see the right price action and confirmation before taking the trade.
On SPY, I was watching for a push higher into resistance. I did not want to short a red candle after the move had already started. I wanted price to push into my level so I could enter from a better position.
When SPY gave me that green push into resistance, I entered the short. My target was the 50-day moving average below. Once price moved down into that target area, I took the trade off and locked in approximately $480.
The important part was not simply that the trade made money. The important part was that I followed the plan. I had identified the level, waited for confirmation, entered with a defined target, and exited when the market reached that target.
Many traders make the mistake of staying in a winning position because they believe the move might continue. Sometimes it does. However, the market can also reverse quickly after reaching an obvious support or resistance area. If I refuse to take profits at my target, I risk turning a winning trade into a smaller win, a breakeven trade, or even a loss.
The QQQ trade provided another example of the same lesson. I had prepared both long and short scenarios, but only the short setup triggered. When price reached my short level and gave me the confirmation I wanted, I entered the trade.
QQQ moved in my favor quickly, allowing me to take approximately $1,607 in profit. Once the planned move was complete, I got out instead of forcing myself to stay in the position.
This is what I mean by trading incrementally. I enter when my setup appears, take profit when price reaches the area I planned for, and then wait for the next opportunity. I do not need to remain attached to one position all day. I also do not need every trade to become a large winner.
The market does not owe me a continued move after my target is reached. My responsibility is to manage the opportunity that is actually available—not the opportunity I hope will develop.
Trading to targets is especially important during uncertain or choppy market conditions. When price is moving between important levels, follow-through may be limited. In those situations, holding for a much larger move can create unnecessary risk. A smaller, planned profit may be the more professional decision.
I want my students to understand that trading is work. If I spend time analyzing the market, identifying levels, managing risk, and executing a trade correctly, I should allow that work to pay me. I do not need to chase a home-run trade every day to build consistency.
The goal is to create a process I can repeat. That process includes preparing before the open, waiting for confirmation, defining a realistic target, and taking profits when the market gives them to me.
The biggest takeaway from today is this: a target is not just a number on a chart. It is a decision I make before entering the trade. Once price reaches that area, I need to respect the plan instead of allowing greed or excitement to take control.
That does not mean I can never hold for a larger move. Some setups and market conditions support extended trades. But I need evidence that the market is offering that opportunity. I should not hold simply because I am afraid of missing out on additional profit.
On September 15th, the SPY and QQQ trades both rewarded patience and discipline. I waited for price to reach my levels, entered after confirmation, and took profits at planned targets. That is the type of trading I want my students to practice.
If you can consistently identify clear levels, wait for confirmation, and pay yourself when price reaches your target, you will make better decisions than a trader who constantly chases the biggest possible move.
Trade the setup in front of you. Take the profit you planned for. Then wait for the next opportunity.