The market opened today with a small gap down and quickly recovered from the lows within the first 15 minutes. That early bounce was short-lived. Sellers soon stepped back in, and the structure began to align cleanly with my predefined setup.
Once the structure confirmed, I prepared for execution. The setup was valid, conditions were clear, and the trade fit perfectly within my backtested rules.
An Execution Error — And a Controlled Response
During execution, I made a mistake. I entered a higher strike price than intended.
While the strike had a slightly lower delta—which would have helped if price moved against my stop—the LTP on that strike did not offer sufficient room to realistically achieve my planned target. This created a mismatch between the trade and my system.
At that point, the decision was simple but important: fix the mistake without violating the plan.
I exited the incorrect strike, booking a small 3-point gain, and immediately re-entered the correct strike. The re-entry was done at a price 3 points lower than the exit, keeping the trade fully aligned with my backtested execution rules.
The market structure still supported the trade, and there was ample time to correct the error. Trading is always about acting with the information available in the present moment. Hesitation in these situations often turns valid setups into missed opportunities.
Trade Progression and Target Adjustment
After re-entering the correct strike, the trade progressed smoothly in my favour. However, the market did not extend enough to reach my original 3R target.
As the session moved into the final hour, the structure began to show signs of exhaustion. Based on this evolving context, I adjusted the target to 2.5R. Even with the reduced expectation, the market still failed to push far enough.
With time running out and no further expansion developing, I exited the position before the session closed, booking a small but controlled profit.
Key Takeaways From This Trade
- Execution mistakes happen — what matters is correcting them quickly and objectively.
- Fixing an error does not mean breaking rules if the adjustment remains within tested parameters.
- Strike selection matters as much as direction in options trading.
- Adapting targets based on real-time structure is different from emotional interference.
- Not every valid trade will reach full R multiples, and that is part of the business.
Final Thoughts
This trade was not about maximising profit. It was about maintaining discipline under imperfect conditions.
I respected the structure, corrected an execution error without panic, and exited responsibly when the market stopped offering opportunity. That is consistency — and consistency is what compounds over time.
Trading is not about being flawless. It is about responding correctly when things are not.
