Profitable ETF Trading Strategies: a checklist for battle stations

education, management, Markets, Military, Planning, Teaching
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Military command posts must monitor the situation around them 24 hours a day and seven days a week. There is never a time when they can take the day off. But there are also times that require extra vigilance and attention to detail such as when the unit is about to engage in a new operation.

It is good practice at these times to initiate a higher level of attention in the command post in order to ensure we have our game face on. Some units called this heightened state of alertness “Battle Stations”. 

When the chief of staff calls out ”Battle Stations”, everyone knows it’s time to focus on the task at hand and be ready for action. 

Traders can employ the same psychology to bring themselves to the highest levels of alertness and readiness regarding the trading session by having a checklist at hand that gets them ready to manage the trade. 

Here are some examples of what your battle stations checklist might include:

  1. refreshing your understanding of the total market condition.
  2. Updating the S&P 500 pivot point levels for support and resistance in the broad market.
  3. Refreshing your  list of probable high payoff trading targets
  4. checking in on the current dominant daily trends in sectors and countries
  5. updating the trailing stops in existing positions so that they will manage themselves what you focus on the next trade
  6. updating your stops to account for total portfolio heat
  7. reviewing the qualities of your ideal trading type
  8. reviewing your list of ironclad trading rules
  9. reviewing your lists of primary and secondary objectives
  10. look at a picture of your family with love for motivation 

Your top 10 checklist should contain as much as you need to get your game face on. It should remind you of your technical and tactical objectives and techniques. It should also remind you of your emotional center, motivation and objectives, and your purpose for trading. 

With these ideas firmly in mind you are prepared to take on the trading day were resume trading high payoff periods intraday. 

Now, trader, get ready for “Battle Stations”!

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