2026-05-14

Yes. This is the right diagnosis: the problem is not just OTM options. It is **casual optionality buying without a defined setup**. Your rule should be stricter: 1. **No OTM calls on green/up days unless it is a long-duration thesis trade.** If the stock already moved and you buy OTM calls, you are paying inflated premium, worse skew, and giving yourself bad timing plus decay. That is usually FOMO disguised as conviction. 2. **If it is not a red-day entry, it needs a written reason.** Before clicking, write: - What is the setup? - Why now? - What invalidates it? - How long am I willing to hold? - What percent of portfolio am I risking if it goes to zero? 3. **OTM options should be treated as risk budget, not position size.** The question is not “how much exposure do I want?” It is “how much premium am I willing to lose completely?” If you cannot accept a full loss calmly, the size is too big or the option is too far OTM/too short-dated. This fits your recent pattern: 30-day memory shows **note gap 10 times, concentration jump 5 times, overtrading 5 times, add-to-loser 2 times**. “Absent mindedly clicking buttons” is exactly the behavior those flags are pointing at. You need a friction step before execution. Concrete rule: **Before any option buy, pause 2 minutes and write one sentence:** “I'm buying this because ___, I will exit if ___, and max loss is ___.” If you cannot fill that in cleanly, no trade. Also, your note mentions “OTM” and “TIME,” but there is no live or recent position evidence for either as tickers. So treat this as a process rule, not ticker-specific feedback. Follow-up: what is the minimum checklist you will require before buying any OTM option?