Forgotten Profits Trade Setup Archive

Below you'll find Ian's setups stacked up and ordered chronologically. As this service once resided at another home, the alerts only go back to mid July. For a full track record, see the portfolio.

Train the Body, Strengthen the Mind: How Exercise Builds Trading Discipline

Jan 7, 2026 | 7:08 pm

Train the Body, Strengthen the Mind: How Exercise Builds Trading Discipline

Trading is a performance discipline.

If you want steadier execution, better emotional control, and cleaner decision-making, you can’t only train your charts — you have to train your body too.

Trader mindset and physical health are not separate ideas. They are deeply connected.

trader mindset and physical health

 

Why Exercise Shows Up on Your P&L

Most traders try to “think” their way into consistency.

But consistency is built through repeatable behaviors:

  • Sleep quality
  • Daily routine
  • Stress regulation
  • Follow-through

That’s why trader mindset and physical health are not separate categories.

They are connected systems.

When your body is under-recovered, your brain becomes more reactive.
You chase.
You force.
You get impatient.
You break rules.

When you’re physically strong and well-rested, your nervous system stays calmer.
And when your nervous system is calmer, it becomes easier to do what great trading actually requires:

  • Wait
  • Execute
  • Accept outcomes

My Training Routine (And Why It Works)

I train at the gym five days a week.

Most sessions look like this:

  • 1 hour of strength training
  • 1 hour of cardio
  • 15 minutes in a sauna or steam room

Is that more than most traders want to do?
Absolutely.

And that’s fine.

The goal isn’t to copy my routine.
The goal is to understand why it works — and how even a scaled-down version can improve your trading.

That consistency improves sleep, stabilizes energy, and sharpens focus.
Those benefits show up directly in execution.

That’s where trader mindset and physical health start turning into a real edge.

Discipline Is a Muscle

Here’s the insight most traders miss:

Discipline is a muscle.

And the gym is one of the best places to train it.

Every time you:

  • Show up when you don’t feel like it
  • Finish a workout you’d rather skip
  • Stick to a routine instead of negotiating with yourself

…you’re training the same mental muscle you rely on in trading.

That muscle is what allows you to:

  • Wait for proper entries
  • Honor stops
  • Avoid overtrading
  • Sit through boredom without forcing action

This is why trader mindset and physical health should be part of your trading plan — not an afterthought.

A Simple 60-Minute Routine for Traders

You don’t need a two-hour workout to get meaningful benefits.

Here’s a realistic routine you can do 3–5 days per week.

30 Minutes: Strength Training

  • 5-minute warm-up
  • 20-minute circuit:
    • Squats or goblet squats
    • Push-ups or dumbbell press
    • Rows (dumbbells or bands)
    • Planks or core work
  • 5-minute stretch or cooldown

30 Minutes: Cardio

  • Brisk walking
  • Biking
  • Rowing
  • Moderate intervals

The goal isn’t exhaustion.
The goal is consistency.

Do this for a few weeks and you’ll notice:

  • Better sleep
  • Clearer thinking
  • More patience at the screen

That’s trader mindset and physical health reinforcing each other in real time.

Start Small. Stay Consistent.

You don’t need perfection.
You need momentum.

Getting started — and doing something consistently — improves your mindset almost immediately.

Train your body.
Strengthen your discipline.
Let that discipline show up in your trading.

For more articles on trader psychology, performance, and discipline, visit:

https://traderinsight.com/article-archives/

Why Intel’s Stock Surged as the AI Trade Broadened — and What Traders Should Watch Next

Jan 7, 2026 | 6:46 pm

Why Intel’s Stock Surged as the AI Trade Broadened — and What Traders Should Watch Next

Intel surprised the market by jumping to the top of the S&P 500 leaderboard as the AI narrative broadened beyond the usual “GPU-only” winners.

For traders, this wasn’t just a feel-good headline — it was a case study in how positioning, expectations, and thematic rotation can create opportunity.
The most important takeaway is simple: the Intel stock AI trade is being driven by changing perception more than changing fundamentals.

If you trade semis, you’ve seen this movie before: leadership gets crowded, the easy money names start to chop, and capital goes hunting for “the next AI beneficiary.”
That’s when second-tier or previously left-behind names can rip higher on a narrative re-rate — even if the fundamentals are still catching up.

Intel stock AI trade

1) Why Intel suddenly became “relevant” to AI again

Wall Street has spent the last year treating GPUs and custom accelerators as the center of the AI universe.
But as AI systems scale, the ecosystem expands: CPUs, memory, power efficiency, and infrastructure constraints start to matter more.

This is the same broadening dynamic we discussed in our AI ecosystem coverage:
Nvidia AI Demand Trading Outlook
and
Nvidia AI Backstop: Trader’s Playbook for the AI Ecosystem.

2) The “CPU squeeze” story — and why traders should treat it carefully

Part of the enthusiasm appears tied to chatter about tighter CPU conditions and the possibility of better pricing, especially on the server side.

Whether that turns into reality or fades as “noise,” it created exactly what traders need for movement: a believable story and a crowd eager for fresh AI exposure.

In other words, this is a momentum-and-expectations environment — and the Intel stock AI trade can turn quickly if the narrative loses oxygen.

3) Power efficiency: the underappreciated catalyst traders should keep on a sticky note

One practical reason CPUs may regain mindshare is power.

Data centers are increasingly power-constrained, and upgrading older chips can materially improve efficiency.

Even if GPUs dominate the conversation, CPUs still matter in the buildout — and replacement cycles can become a stealth demand driver.

This is one reason AI reaction trades can ripple across competitors, a point we’ve made before in:
Nvidia Earnings Impact on AI Stocks.

4) The trader psychology trap: chasing “new leadership”

When a stock that’s been ignored suddenly becomes the headline, traders tend to do one of two things: chase late, or fade too early.

Both are usually emotional decisions disguised as logic.

If you want a clean mental framework for this kind of tape, revisit:
How to Stop FOMO in Trading,
The Subtle Shift That Causes Big Losses,
and
Patience: The Skill Every Trader Thinks They Have….

This matters because the Intel stock AI trade is the kind of move that tempts traders to abandon process:

“It’s running — I need in,” or “It can’t keep going — I need to fade it.”

The correct approach is to trade structure, not feelings.

If you’ve been working on the boredom/urgency loop, this complements the theme:
Boredom in Trading Psychology.

5) What to watch next (the clean trader checklist)

  • Follow-through vs. fade: Does Intel hold gains on the next session, or retrace sharply?
  • Semis sympathy: Does the move pull CPU-adjacent names with it, or does leadership snap back to GPUs?
  • Headline sensitivity: Does the tape react to server/CPU pricing commentary, foundry chatter, or CES product narrative?
  • Risk regime: Broad “AI rotation” tapes can reverse on a dime — size accordingly.

The trading takeaway

Intel’s surge is a textbook rotation moment: when the market wants more AI exposure, it expands the definition of “AI winner.”
Trade it like a narrative rotation, not like a solved fundamental story.

The Intel stock AI trade can create fast opportunity — but only for traders who stay disciplined, respect structure, and avoid emotional entries.

Want to see how we break down trades and themes in real time?

Visit the War Room recap page:
Today’s Trading Recap.

Boredom In Trading Psychology

Jan 6, 2026 | 4:04 pm

Boredom in Trading: Why Doing Nothing Is One of the Hardest (and Most Profitable) Skills

One of the least discussed — yet most destructive — forces in active trading is boredom in trading psychology.

Not fear. Not greed. Boredom.

Boredom In Trading Psychology

Sitting in front of a screen, watching price tick back and forth, waiting for something to happen, creates a very real psychological discomfort. When traders don’t understand boredom in trading psychology, that discomfort often pushes them to manufacture trades instead of waiting for valid ones.

We saw a perfect example of this today in the War Room when Paul asked about a trade he put on in
SLV, the silver ETF.

A Real-Time Example of Boredom-Driven Trading

Paul’s thesis was simple and familiar: silver looked parabolically extended to the upside, and that extension meant it was “due” for a correction. Acting on that belief, he began shorting SLV.

The problem wasn’t just the initial idea — it was what followed.

As SLV continued to hold strength and grind higher, Paul added more short positions. Four or five legs in total. Each new entry wasn’t based on a fresh signal, a breakdown,
or a change in market structure — it was based on waiting.

Every pause. Every stall. Every moment where price failed to tick higher fast enough became justification to add risk. This is how boredom in trading psychology quietly
overrides discipline.

Key insight: The longer a trader stares at a screen without a plan-trigger, the easier it becomes to confuse hesitation with weakness.

When Screen Time Replaces Market Context

One of the most dangerous effects of boredom is how it narrows perception. Traders stop asking why a market is moving and start focusing on why it hasn’t done what they expect yet.

In this case, SLV’s extension higher likely reflected geopolitical uncertainty, including developments in Venezuela — a backdrop that often supports precious metals.

But boredom strips away context. The market stops being an information system and starts feeling like a debate you’re trying to win.

This mindset is closely related to what we explored in
Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda: The Most Expensive Mindset in Trading,
where traders become emotionally attached to being right instead of being aligned.

Why Doing Nothing Feels So Uncomfortable

The brain is wired to resolve uncertainty. When nothing is happening, it looks for action as relief. In trading, that relief often shows up as impulse entries.

This is why boredom in trading psychology is so dangerous — it disguises discomfort as analysis.

  • “It looks tired.”
  • “It can’t keep going like this.”
  • “I’ve watched this all day — I know it’s about to turn.”

These thoughts feel rational, but they usually have more to do with tension than with edge.

We’ve discussed this overlap between boredom and urgency in
How to Stop FOMO in Trading,
and again in
Patience: The Skill Every Trader Thinks They Have.

The Two Psychological Traps Boredom Creates

1. Getting Rewarded for Bad Behavior

When boredom-driven trades work, the brain learns the wrong lesson: that persistence or size can replace discipline.

2. Getting Punished and Questioning Yourself

When those trades fail, traders don’t just doubt the idea — they doubt their competence.

This erosion of confidence is something we address in
Trading Discipline and Execution: Why the Plan Always Wins
and
The Perils of Holiday Trading,
where inactivity and low-quality environments magnify psychological mistakes.

Reframing Boredom as a Professional Skill

Professional traders don’t eliminate boredom — they learn how to coexist with it.

Mastery of boredom in trading psychology means understanding that boredom is often a signal that no edge exists right now.

  • Stepping away when no setup exists
  • Letting momentum invalidate bias
  • Separating familiarity from opportunity
  • Allowing patience to do the heavy lifting

Bottom Line

Boredom in trading psychology doesn’t announce itself loudly. It sneaks in during quiet moments and convinces traders to act simply to feel productive.

But the market doesn’t reward activity — it rewards alignment.
Sometimes the most disciplined trade you can make
is no trade at all.

Nvidia AI Demand Trading Outlook

Jan 6, 2026 | 3:48 pm

Nvidia’s “Tremendous” AI Demand Message: What Traders Should Watch as Vera Rubin Heads Toward Launch

Nvidia didn’t need an earnings surprise to move the conversation this week. At CES, the company reinforced a simple narrative:
Demand for AI and accelerated computing remains strong — and the next platform is already in motion.

Nvidia AI Demand Trading Outlook

For active traders, this is exactly the kind of backdrop that shapes intraday behavior: how price reacts at levels, how momentum sustains (or fails),
and whether dips get bought with conviction or just “supported” into chop.

The Catalyst: Consistent Messaging + A Clear Timeline

During a CES fireside chat, Nvidia CFO Colette Kress said demand for AI and accelerated computing is “tremendous,” and emphasized that the company is
positioned to bring the Vera Rubin platform to market in the second half of 2026.

Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang also stated the Rubin platform is in full production.

Traders don’t get paid for knowing the headline — they get paid for understanding what the headline does to positioning, volatility,
and the market’s willingness to reprice expectations. When the message is “demand is strong” and “supply is planned,” it tends to:

  • Reduce panic selling on pullbacks (buyers show up faster at support)
  • Increase rotational trading (range expansion intraday, but slower multi-day follow-through)
  • Make breakouts harder (because “good news” is already expected)

What Vera Rubin Means in Trader Terms (Not Engineering Terms)

Rubin isn’t just “the next GPU.” It’s an integrated platform that combines multiple components — including the Rubin GPU and Vera CPU —
designed to improve training and inference efficiency. Nvidia has also highlighted major cost improvements for inference versus the current generation.

Here’s the trading takeaway: efficiency is the bridge between hype and adoption.

When cost-to-inference drops, demand doesn’t just stay alive — it can broaden. That matters because NVDA is not just a stock; it’s a
sentiment anchor for the AI complex and semis broadly.

If you’re trading NVDA (or semis as a group), treat Rubin headlines as a structural tailwind — not an automatic breakout trigger.
In this phase, it’s less about “buy the news” and more about “trade the reaction at levels.”

Why NVDA Didn’t Explode Higher (And Why That’s Normal)

After a dominant trend, markets shift from repricing growth to trading expectations. Nvidia’s leadership in AI is no longer a surprise —
It’s the baseline assumption. That creates a familiar pattern traders should recognize:

  • Headlines support price, but don’t necessarily accelerate it
  • Rallies fade faster because profit-taking is “mechanical,” not emotional
  • Levels matter more than narratives (breaks and holds become the edge)

In other words, this is where traders get chopped when they trade the story instead of the structure.

If you feel yourself slipping into urgency, review our performance psychology work on execution and patience — because the market
often punishes the trader who “knows” more than it rewards them.

A Trader’s Checklist for AI-Headline Sessions

  1. Define your levels first. Headlines create volatility; your levels generate the trade.
  2. Wait for the reaction. The first move is often positioning. The second move is information.
  3. Don’t chase strength into known resistance. That’s where “good news” becomes a liquidity event.
  4. Scale expectations to the environment. If the tape is rotational, trade rotationally.
  5. Protect your decision quality. Fatigue and FOMO are the fastest ways to turn a solid plan into a bad entry.

Related TraderInsight Reads

If this topic hits your workflow this week (NVDA, semis, AI leadership, volatility), these articles pair well with today’s narrative:

Bottom Line

Nvidia’s message is supportive: demand is strong, the next platform is underway, and supply planning is already in place.
For traders, the edge is not predicting the next trillion-dollar narrative — it’s executing cleanly in a market where leadership names often shift from trending to rotating.

Trade the levels. Respect the tape. Let the headline be context — not a trigger.