1) Trading Without a Plan

Jumping into the market without a written plan is gambling. No defined entry, stop, or target means emotions will make decisions for you.

The Fix

• Write your entry criteria, invalidation, targets, and max daily drawdown before the session.
• Do premarket prep: bias, key levels, scenarios, and “no-trade” conditions.

2) Risking Too Much Per Trade

Overleveraging is the fastest way to blow up. One oversized loss can erase weeks of work.

The Fix

• Risk 1–3% max of account equity per trade (pros tend toward 1%).
• Size positions by math, not emotion. Remember: -50% requires +100% to recover.

3) Chasing the Market

FOMO leads to buying tops and selling bottoms. Late entries equal poor reward to risk.

The Fix

• Let price come to your levels (liquidity, POIs, time windows).
• If it’s gone, let it go. The next setup is the one you’ll trade well.

4) Ignoring Psychology

Fear, greed, and revenge trading sabotage otherwise solid systems. Your edge dies when discipline breaks.

The Fix

• Journal emotions pre/during/post trade. Spot patterns and correct them.
• Judge yourself on execution quality, not single-trade P&L.

5) No Risk Framework

Focusing only on entries while ignoring daily/weekly risk limits leads to equity cliffs.

The Fix

• Set a daily stop, weekly loss cap, and “step-away” rules.
• Minimum 2:1 RR; accept small losses quickly and let winners work.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to predict every move, you need to protect capital, execute cleanly, and let probabilities play out. Avoid these mistakes and your curve will straighten fast.