“The Week That Tested My Conviction”
Week 18 will go down as one of the most emotional chapters of my 1000 Days Challenge.
After months of steady progress and small, controlled wins, this week delivered both a reminder of how fast profits can disappear — and how critical it is to stay systematic under stress.
It was a week of extremes: a textbook setup that opened green, a few disciplined exits, and one large volatility-driven loss that defined the week’s outcome.
💼 All Trades This Week
| # | Strategy | P/L | % Return (on $50k) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2/7 DTE Double Calendar (16-lot) | +$1,958 | + 4.2 % | Strong Monday open — theta decay and volatility contraction worked perfectly. |
| 2 | 2/7 DTE Double Calendar (4-lot) | – $1,022 | – 8.6 % | Carried for 2 days; flat market hurt both wings. |
| 3 | 2/7 DTE Double Calendar (4-lot) | +$478 | + 3.9 % | Smooth overnight hold; exited early next morning for controlled profit. |
| 4 | 9/23 DTE Double Calendar (4-lot) | – $8,362 | – 35.5 % | Major volatility expansion; SPX broke below 6760 → delta flip → auto exit. |
| 5 | 2/7 DTE Double Calendar (8-lot) | +$355 | + 1.6 % | Quick scalp into Friday; recovered partial ground post-drawdown. |
| — | Weekly Total | – $6,591 | – 13.2 % (on $50k) | Controlled loss week — biggest yet, but fully within risk model. |
🧠 Key Takeaways
1️⃣ Volatility Is the Real Adversary
SPX slid ~200 points this week while implied volatility rose sharply, compressing calendar structures that depend on stability. When vega and delta both move against you, the P/L curve drops fast — but the data still shows this is a rare tail event.
2️⃣ Sizing Saved the Account
Running 4-lot and 8-lot positions instead of 10+ limited the damage. Every lot you don’t open is risk you don’t carry.
3️⃣ Automation Removed Emotion
The delta-exit rule closed the losing trade exactly as planned. Manual intervention might have turned a 35 % loss into something worse. Trust the code.
4️⃣ One Bad Week ≠ A Bad System
Backtests forecast these weeks. The edge is intact; variance just caught up. I’ll tag this as a “vol-expansion above-delta event” and move on to the next setup.
📘 Reflection
Every trader dreams of consistency — but real consistency includes how you handle inconsistency.
This week was the first true stress test of automation, and it passed. The strategy took its loss mechanically, and so did I.
It feels strange to say that a 35 % drawdown is a win for discipline — but that’s the truth.
Emotionally driven trading would have ended much worse.
“You don’t control markets. You control behavior. And that’s where edge compounds.”
🔮 Next Week’s Plan
- Size down temporarily to half lots while volatility normalizes.
- Monitor IV term structure daily before opening DCs.
- Let automation run entirely — no manual exits unless forced by system logic.
- Log this week as “emotional discipline checkpoint” in journal.
Disclaimer
The information presented in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as financial or investment advice. I am not a licensed financial advisor. All trading strategies discussed reflect my personal experience and are not recommendations to buy or sell any security or derivative.
Trading financial instruments such as options, futures, or stocks involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. You should conduct your own research, consider your financial situation, and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. Use of this information is at your own risk.