Lessons from the urge to short Hang Seng during Chinese New Year

Many years ago during Chinese New Year, I impulsively went over-sized short on Hang Seng (HSX), thinking that with everyone on holiday, it would surely be quiet and drift down. Turns out, it didn't go as planned. It rallied until I had to cut with pain. Instead of waiting for a good opportunity, I rushed too much. The lesson is: don't try to predict or mix emotions with your trading plan, especially during periods of market volatility due to major holidays. For example, with $BA now up almost two percent, you need to watch the trend carefully, not just assume it will go down.