The time I chased the Nikkei rally and learned about patience (the hard way)

Remember that explosive run the Nikkei had back in January? The one that just kept going, seemingly without a pullback? Yeah, that's the one I decided to jump into, full FOMO mode.

I'd been watching it for weeks, seeing the gains, feeling that familiar itch. "It can't go up forever," I kept telling myself, but then it kept going up. Eventually, my discipline broke. I bought in, not at a dip, because there weren't any significant ones, but just into the rally, thinking I was catching the next leg up. Of course, that was pretty close to the top of that particular mini-surge. What followed was a swift, albeit not massive, correction that stopped me out for a decent loss. Not portfolio-crippling, but definitely stung. The lesson, again, hammered home: chasing momentum without a clear entry strategy or a decent pullback is just gambling. I knew better, but the allure of those green candles got me. Patience, especially in markets that are already extended, is truly a virtue I need to cultivate more consistently.