Write the Risk Before the Entry

Most traders can describe a setup. Fewer can state, in writing, how much capital they will lose if the idea is wrong. That gap is where impulsive size and moved stops appear.

A useful pre-entry risk statement names the instrument, the invalidation level, the cash amount at risk, and the reason the trade is worth that risk. It takes under a minute once the habit is formed.

In our Hartley sessions we treat that paragraph as non-negotiable. If you cannot write it clearly, you are not ready to place the order—regardless of how clean the chart looks.

Start with fixed risk per trade as a percentage of account equity. Keep it small enough that a string of losses does not force you to abandon the plan. Consistency of size teaches more than occasional oversized wins.