Building a pre-trade checklist that you actually use
Most traders we meet have written rules somewhere — a Notes app entry, a pinned PDF, a faded whiteboard photo. Few consult those rules at the moment of entry. The gap between knowing and doing widens inside ranges because mid-range prices feel actionable even when they violate every line you wrote last month.
Our checklist template fits on one printed page beside your monitor. It is not a trading plan encyclopedia. It is a gate you walk through in under ninety seconds before clicking buy or sell.
Section 1: Location (three yes/no boxes)
- Is price within the outer ten percent of a marked range boundary?
- Did I mark this boundary before the current candle printed (not after seeing rejection)?
- Is the range at least twenty candles old on my execution timeframe?
If any answer is no, the checklist stops. No entry. This single rule eliminated more mid-range trades in our March cohort than any indicator discussion.
Section 2: Confirmation (one written line)
Describe the confirmation candle in one sentence before it closes. Example: "Bearish engulfing at upper boundary after second touch." If the candle closes differently, you rewrite the sentence or skip the trade. The act of writing forces you to wait for the close instead of anticipating it.
Section 3: Risk (two numbers)
Write stop price and position size. Stop must sit beyond the boundary, not inside the range. Size must reflect the stop distance and your daily loss limit. We do not proceed without both numbers filled in — empty boxes mean you are guessing size under pressure.
Section 4: Invalidation (one sentence)
State what would prove your read wrong before entry. Example: "Two consecutive closes above the upper boundary cancel the fade setup." This gives you an exit rule unrelated to P&L emotion.
Why paper beats pixels for the first month
Physical checklists slow you down just enough to break autopilot. Several coaching participants switched to a laminated sheet after week two and reported higher compliance than with a digital form that hid behind other windows. After thirty days of paper, migrate to a second-monitor PDF if you prefer.
Download is not available on this site — the template is included in every workshop workbook and coaching welcome packet. Attend a Range Foundations weekend or request enrollment in the next coaching cohort to receive your copy.