The Checklist Manifesto: No Trade Without Confirmation

The Checklist Manifesto: No Trade Without Confirmation

Titan Playbook Series. Article 4 of 10

The Physical Checklist

Write it down. Literally.

Print your checklist. Put it next to your screen. Before you click “buy” or “sell,” put a physical checkmark in each box.

No checkmarks = no trade.

Sounds extreme? Good. Extreme situations call for extreme measures. Trading is extreme.

Building Your Custom Checklist

Use the template above, but customize:

Add criteria specific to your strategy:

  • “ATR is above 20-period average” (for volatility strategies)
  • “Price is above 50 EMA on 4-hour” (for trend following)
  • “Volume is 150% of 20-period average” (for breakout confirmation)

    • Remove criteria that don’t apply:

  • Scalpers don’t need trend alignment checks
  • Swing traders don’t need intraday volume confirmation

    • Your checklist should be 8-12 items max. Too long and you’ll skip steps. Too short and you’ll miss critical checks.

    Action Items

  • [ ] Write your custom pre-trade checklist (use template above)
  • [ ] Print it and place it next to your trading screen
  • [ ] For your next 20 trades, physically check off each item before entering

    • Word Count: ~650 words

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Level: All Levels

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