Most trading journal advice assumes you have 30 minutes after every session for detailed review. In reality, you have 5 minutes, you're mentally drained, and the last thing you want to do is more analysis. This checklist is designed for how traders actually work. Three quick checks before you trade, one glance during the session, and a 5-minute structured review after. Total time: under 10 minutes. Impact: measurable within weeks. ## Pre-Session Checklist (2 Minutes) Do this before you open your first position of the day. ### ✅ Check Your Rules Pull up your active trading rules. Read them out loud. Yes, actually out loud. - What's my daily trade limit? ___ - What's my max daily loss before I stop? ___ - What hours am I allowed to trade? ___ - Any symbols I'm avoiding this week? ___ This takes 30 seconds and dramatically reduces rule violations. The reason is simple: you can't break a rule you just consciously recalled. ### ✅ Check Yesterday's Score Glance at your previous session's results: - Did I follow my rules? (Yes/No) - What was my biggest leak? (name it) - Am I carrying emotional residue? (honest answer) If yesterday was a bad day and you're still feeling it, acknowledge that. Traders who pretend they're starting fresh when they're actually carrying frustration are the ones who revenge trade at 9:01 AM. ### ✅ Set Your Session Intent Write one sentence: "Today I will focus on ___." Not a P&L target. A behavior target: - "Today I will wait for A-grade setups only" - "Today I will respect my 15-trade cap" - "Today I will stop at my loss limit without exceptions" One focus per day. That's it. ## Mid-Session Check (30 Seconds) Set a timer for the midpoint of your trading session. When it goes off, answer one question: **Am I still following my pre-session intent?** If yes, keep going. If no, take a 5-minute break. Walk away from the screen. Come back and decide whether to continue or stop early. This single intervention catches most session drift.