Trade 1: tick every check before you enter
Why a checklist before every trade
Most losing trades are not bad analysis; they are trades that should not have been taken: no clear level, a stop added later, a size picked by feel, a trade just before news, or a revenge trade after a loss. A short checklist stops these at the moment they happen. If one box stays empty, the answer is "not this trade".
Make it yours
- Keep it short. Ten checks you really use beat thirty you skip.
- Write the checks from your own trading plan, and change the minimum reward : risk to the one your plan needs. The win rate calculator shows the break-even win rate for each reward : risk.
- After a week, look at the trades where you skipped a check. They usually explain most of the losses.
Playbooks hold your checklist; on each trade you tick the rules you followed and the reports show what breaking each rule costs you. 21-day free trial, no card needed.
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What should be on a pre-trade checklist?
Checks that stop avoidable losses: the higher-timeframe bias, a level from your plan, a real entry trigger, a stop where the idea is wrong, a size from your risk per trade, enough reward for the risk, no big news, the right session and a calm state of mind.
Can I use the checklist on my phone?
Yes. Tick the boxes on your phone before each trade and press Next trade to clear them. You can also print it.
What does R:R mean on the checklist?
Reward to risk: how far the target is compared with the stop. 1 : 2 means the target is twice as far as the stop.
More free tools
- Free trading journal template (Excel and Google Sheets)
- R-multiple and expectancy calculator
- Prop firm challenge tracker and rules compared
- Prop firm drawdown calculator: daily, static and trailing
- Trading plan template (save as PDF)
- Win rate and break-even calculator
- ICC Charts trading tools: lot size, pip value, risk-reward and more
- ICC Chart Challenge: free ICT chart game