One of mine is to never trade during a break/holiday

I stuck to that in my most recent trip abroad but back in April:

It was an unconventional thing for me and despite the trade working out, it's no doubt ill-advised unless you're comfortable with the trade ending up on the wrong side of the coin.

I was faced with the inability to monitor a position I actually had a very strong conviction and confidence to enter but as I highlighted in the post above, Greg's wise words exactly mirrored my train of thought: Don't let fear crowd out your chance of success in trading.

And that is a key lesson to take with you no matter what you do in life, not just trading. If you can define and limit your risk and you have a strong conviction in the trade and the opportunity fits your strategy, then you shouldn't let fear overwhelm you and cause you to miss out on making a trade - and worse yet, doubt yourself.

But just as in life, there are a lot of elements out of our control. You may have everything set up nicely and still the trade may work against you. It's just like driving. You can take all the precaution you need. Airbags, checking mirrors, obeying traffic rules. But sometimes you can't avoid the actions of others. Defensive driving helps but it's still no 100% guarantee. Much like following trading principles.

TLDR: Yes, I broke one my hallmark trading principles but I only did so because I felt confident about that trade. Did it turn out alright? Yes. Would I do it again? Highly unlikely. Would I be alright if the trade went against me? It is a measured risk, so yes.

Before I end this, I want to advocate the importance of risk management when it comes to trading. A lot of new traders don't exactly focus on this and trade whatever they see fit but it is an important concept to grasp your overall risk exposure and what you may lose if trades go against you.

Always know how much you are risking in all your trades put together and limit your total loss exposure relative to your account. Whether that is 10% or 15%, stick to that.

What are some of your trading principles that you adhere to? Feel free to share them here. :)