Great post

The best way to learn is to write up a journal. Be rigorous and be honest and be ruthless. If you have a look at my profile you will find I have written (and posted) 442 blog posts here on investing and trading. I write up every single one. I write down what I was thinking. Where I learn is each time I close something I can go back and use SEARCH to find what I wrote. Then I learn.

And other people who read it also learn. Bonus is it gives you trade ideas.

Not going to go into specifics of your trades but I will add that options gives a good way to invest and hold for a longer time frame. I do have short term trades (mostly 2 months out) but not a lot.

And a trade idea you will see from my blog post today building on your GDX trade (I have quite a few on GDX too). Try SLV - lower trade price makes for smaller trades and it has lagged GLD and GDX - same forces will drive it.

Here is the discussion on SLV https://mymark.mx/TIB437 and https://mymark.mx/TIB438