Trigger-to-action plan
Course context: This lesson belongs to a practical beginner curriculum for Pakistan.
| Trigger | Common error | Pre-committed action |
|---|---|---|
| Two losses | Increase size to recover | Stop for the day and review screenshots |
| Missed move | Enter late without invalidation | Record a skipped trade; wait for a new setup |
| Winning streak | Raise risk because of confidence | Keep the same cash-risk limit |
| Open loss | Move SL farther away | Change only if the written strategy rule permits |
| Social-media tip | Trade before checking evidence | Apply source and contract checklist first |
Process score, not mood score
For every decision, assign one point for a valid setup, one for correct volume, one for SL before entry, one for cost/session check and one for following the exit rule. A losing 5/5 trade is better process evidence than a profitable 1/5 impulse trade.
Journal fields
| Before the decision | After the decision |
|---|---|
| Setup and invalidation | Requested and executed prices |
| Cash risk and calculated volume | Actual R and complete cost |
| Session, news and spread | Rule-compliance score |
| Emotion trigger and planned response | Screenshot and one improvement |
Circuit breakers
- No new order after the daily loss limit.
- No volume increase after a loss or win.
- No trade without a written invalidation price.
- Five-minute pause after a rejected or slipped order.
- Twenty-four-hour pause after a rule violation involving size.
- Weekly review changes only one process variable at a time.
Seven-day demo exercise
- Use one symbol and one setup.
- Keep virtual cash risk constant.
- Record every valid setup, including those not traded.
- Score process immediately after the decision.
- Review results only at the end of the session.
- Calculate compliance rate and rule violations before looking at net P/L.
External reality check
Regulator advisories warn that OTC forex is high risk, many frauds start through social media, and outsized or guaranteed-return pitches should be rejected. A psychological routine should therefore include source verification and a ban on depositing because of urgency or personal persuasion.
CFTC OTC forex advisory
Questions from a first-time learner
Can discipline guarantee profit?
No. It improves consistency of decisions but cannot make an uncertain strategy profitable.
Should a profitable rule-breaking trade count as success?
No. Record the P/L separately from the process failure.
What should happen after revenge-trading pressure?
Stop new orders, leave the platform and review only after the written cooling-off period.
Why record skipped trades?
They show whether the rule filtered decisions consistently and reduce hindsight bias.