15 January 2026
Let’s skip the part where I tell you this will transform your trading forever.
It won’t. It’s just prep. Boring, simple prep that most traders skip because it doesn’t feel like trading.
But here’s what I’ve noticed – the sessions where I rush to the charts and start hunting for setups immediately are usually the sessions that go sideways. And the sessions where I take 30 minutes beforehand to get my head straight? Those tend to go better.
Not always. Trading doesn’t work like that. But often enough that it’s worth doing.
Here’s what that looks like for me.
Mark your levels before price is moving
This sounds obvious. It is obvious. Most traders still don’t do it.
Previous day high and low. Previous week high and low. Any clear structure where price has reacted before. Nothing complicated – just the levels that matter.
The point is to do this before the session starts. Not when you’re watching a candle print and trying to figure out if this is a good entry. By then, you’re already emotional. You’re already reacting.
Mark the levels when nothing’s happening. Then when price gets there, you already know what you’re looking at.
Takes about 10 minutes. Sometimes less.
Check what’s scheduled
I’m not a news trader. I don’t try to predict what CPI or NFP will do. But I do want to know when they’re coming so I’m not sitting in a position when volatility spikes out of nowhere.
Quick scan of the economic calendar. Flag the high-impact stuff. Decide now – am I trading around it or sitting it out?
That’s it. Five minutes.
The traders who get caught off-guard by news events aren’t unlucky. They just didn’t check.
Figure out your bias
What’s the higher timeframe doing? Is it trending? Ranging? Chopping around?
I’m not trying to predict where price is going. I’m trying to know what kind of day I’m expecting. If the daily is trending up, I’m probably looking for longs. If it’s a mess, I’m probably sitting on my hands more.
One sentence. “Looking for longs above this level, shorts below that level, sitting out if we’re stuck in between.” Something simple.
Write it down. Not because writing things down is magical – because you’ll forget when price starts moving and you get excited about a setup that doesn’t fit the plan.
Five minutes. Maybe less.
Check in with yourself
This is the one that feels weird. It’s also the one that matters most.
How do you actually feel today?
Tired? Anxious? Still frustrated about yesterday’s loss? Riding high from a win and feeling invincible?
All of those affect how you trade. If you’re tired, you’ll take shortcuts. If you’re frustrated, you’ll revenge trade. If you’re overconfident, you’ll size up or take setups you’d normally skip.
Most traders don’t notice this until after they’ve made the mistake. “I shouldn’t have traded today.” Yeah – but you did. Because you didn’t check in first.
I ask myself one question: if I lose on the first two trades today, how will I react? If the honest answer is “badly” – I reduce size or sit out. There’s always tomorrow.
Know your limits before you start
Maximum trades for the day. Maximum loss before you stop. How much drawdown before you walk away.
Decide this now. Write it down. Put it somewhere you can see it.
Because when you’re in a trade and it’s going against you, you won’t remember what you decided. You’ll remember what you feel – and what you feel is “one more trade to make it back.”
The written limits are for that version of you. The emotional one. Help them out by deciding in advance.
The whole thing takes about 30 minutes
Sometimes less. It’s not complicated. It’s not some elaborate ritual with journaling and meditation and cold showers.
It’s just: mark the levels, check the calendar, set a bias, check how you’re feeling, know your limits.
Then trade.
The point isn’t that this routine is special. The point is that having any routine – some kind of consistent process before you start – means fewer decisions made in the heat of the moment. And decisions made in the heat of the moment are usually the bad ones.
That’s it. Nothing fancy. Just 30 minutes of boring prep that makes the rest of your session a bit calmer.
Try it tomorrow. See if it helps.
This Week’s Offer: 40% Off Plus Free Instant
Take 40% off any QT account and receive a free QT Instant of equal size on purchase. Two accounts for less than the price of one. Use code QTINSTANT40.
