Check daily loss before looking for trades
Know the maximum amount you can lose today before taking any setup. If the daily loss rule is close, reduce risk or stop trading for the day.
This single habit protects traders from turning one bad morning into a failed evaluation.
Confirm max loss and account cushion
Max loss is the account-level boundary. Before adding risk, check how much cushion remains and whether the next trade is worth spending that risk on.
A trade may be technically valid but still wrong for the account condition.
Size from stop loss, not confidence
Position size should come from account risk and stop distance. Confidence is not a sizing method. If the stop is wide, size should reduce.
Use a calculator so the planned loss is known before entry.
Review setup quality and rule discipline
Ask whether the trade fits your tested setup, whether news is near, whether you are chasing, and whether you are trading after emotional damage.
If any rule is broken before entry, write it down or skip the trade. The journal should make these moments visible.