What Is a Trading Plan?
A trading plan is your written set of rules: what you trade, when you trade, how much you risk, and when you stop. It sounds boring — and that's exactly why it works. A plan takes the emotion out of the moment, which is where nearly all bad decisions happen.
Why you need one
In the moment, fear and greed take over. A plan written when you're calm keeps you from oversizing, revenge trading, and chasing. It turns trading from reacting into following a process. More on the psychology →
What a plan includes
- What you trade (e.g., NQ/ES) and when (your sessions).
- Your setups — the specific conditions you'll take a trade.
- Risk per trade and position sizing.
- Stop, target, and risk-to-reward rules.
- A daily loss limit and when you walk away.
- How you'll journal and review trades.
Using it every day
A plan only helps if you follow it. Read it before the session, trade only what it allows, and review your trades against it afterward. Over time, the plan becomes second nature — and that consistency is the whole game.
I break this down live on NQ and ES every session — so you learn the timing, not just the theory.
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What should a trading plan include?
What and when you trade, your specific setups, risk per trade, stop/target rules, a daily loss limit, and how you'll journal and review. Keep it simple enough to actually follow.
Do I really need a written trading plan?
Yes. Rules kept only in your head bend under pressure. Writing them down is what makes them hold when fear and greed show up.
Educational content only, not financial advice. Trading futures carries substantial risk of loss.