Currency
Day Trading: The 20 Day Plan
Currency
day trading requires discipline and sticking to a strategy. If you
have been struggling to make consistent profits, rather than looking
at your strategy however, you need to pay close attention to your daily
habits.
Here is
a 20 day currency day trading plan which you should do for 4 trading
weeks of 5 days each.
Establishing
these habits will make a huge difference to your currency day trading
results:
THE START
ROUTINE
Step
1
At the start
of each day you need to prepare the mind. Use visualization techniques
and see and feel yourself following your strategy.
You only
trade when there is a real opportunity. You carefully calculate your
entry point, stop and limit levels. Almost mechanically you enter the
trade.
You let
the trade run and check back every hour or two and detach yourself
emotionally from what is happening.
You take
a loss as part of the deal and a gain as part of the deal avoiding
extremes in emotions from joy to despair.
Playing
through this sequence in your mind helps you start with the proper
mental discipline.
Step
2
-
You
now fire up your charts and do a top down analysis. You take a
look at the daily chart, then the 4 hour, then the 1 hour to get
the big picture.
-
You
calculate your pivot points and draw them on your 15 minute or
1 hour chart
-
You
mark yesterday's high and low on the 1 hour chart.
-
You
take note of where price is in relation to the 200 EMA on the higher
time frames to give you an idea of price direction.
Now you
have done your preparation and your charts are prepared you can now
start looking for trading opportunities.
THE TRADING
ROUTINE
As you approach
your trade and before pulling the trigger you make a conscious effort
to relax. You monitor your breathing and you monitor your self-talk.
No doubts, just confident, mechanical action is required here.
Once your
trade is in you trust your technical indicators and just let the trade
run. Yes price will move backwards and forwards, testing your resolve.
You might get rewarded soon, or you may have to wait some hours for
price to reach your target.
If after
some time price has still not done what you expected and there is a
volatile economic report on the horizon you now have to make a decision
as to whether to take out the trade or at least move up your stop to
minimize loss or protect some profit.
Again this
is all done mechanically, in a controlled calm state of mind as you
constantly remind yourself of the characteristics of the professional
trader. Stay in control, don't panic, don't engage in any wild, impetuous
actions.
THE REVIEW
ROUTINE
At the end
of the trading day you conduct a review and an analysis.
-
How
did you handle your currency day trading session?
-
Were
you stressed at any point? Why? Did you engage in any destructive
behavior such as moving stops, or adding to losing positions thinking
price would turn?
-
How
can you avoid such behavior patterns in the future?
-
If
your trade(s) resulted in gains, what did you do right?
-
If
your trade(s) resulted in losses, what did you do wrong?
-
Was
the loss due to an error in technical judgment or a lapse in mental
and emotional discipline?
-
What
steps can you take, or what reminders do you need to keep in front
of you, to avoid this next time?
NOW APPLY
For the
next 4 weeks apply this 3 step routine to your currency day trading.
It will take discipline and resolve.
However,
to do otherwise is to keep on doing the things you are doing and expect
a different result!
To get out
of a non-productive currency day trading pattern, action and analysis
are required. Use the daily 3 step plan above to embed these productive
habits into your mind and see the difference after 1 month!
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