Running Your Rules in Live Sessions

A written rule set is not the same thing as a rule set you actually run. The translation step is what this lesson is about.

Most rule abandonment is not a decision. It is a drift. The plan exists at 6 a.m. By the 9:45 push it is competing with adrenaline, position pain, and a tape that feels different than it looked in the journal. The fix is not more willpower. The fix is a structure that does the remembering for you.

Three layers carry the work:

• A pre-market sequence that puts the rules in front of your eyes before any decision matters.
• In-session checks short enough to actually run on a live chart.
• A defined response when a rule does get broken, so a single break does not turn into a session of breaks.

The principle behind all three is the one Hardy points to in The Compound Effect: small, boring repetition beats heroic effort. The pre-trade pause you actually take every day is worth more than the perfect rule you remember half the time.

T - Template: A written rule card that fits on one page. A - Automate: Anything the platform can enforce (max daily loss, max position size, bracket orders) gets pushed to the platform, not your discipline. C - Check: A short pre-trade read of the checklist before each entry. T - Track: Log rule adherence in the journal, not just P&L. I - Intervene: A defined trigger that stops the session if rules slip. C - Correct: A recovery sequence after any rule break. A - Analyze: Weekly review of which rules held and which slipped. L - Learn: Adjust the rule set based on actual behavior, not aspiration.

Pre-Market (30 minutes before open):

1. Read the rule card out loud.
2. Confirm max daily loss and max position size are set in the platform.
3. Set bracket orders ready for the first setup.
4. Body check: water, posture, breath, heart rate, one word for current state.
5. Write the day’s plan in one sentence.

During the Session:

1. Run the five-line pre-trade checklist before each entry.
2. If a check fails, no trade.
3. After each trade, one-line note: rule honored or rule slipped.
4. Take the scheduled break even on a green day.

Post-Market (30 minutes after close):

1. Score the session on rule adherence, not on P&L.
2. Note any rule that slipped and the trigger that preceded it.
3. One adjustment, if needed, for tomorrow.

Rule Break Recovery:

1. Stop. Hands off the mouse.
2. Name the rule that was broken, out loud or on paper.
3. Body check: breath, posture, heart rate.
4. Decide: continue with reduced size, or end the session.
5. Write the trigger in the journal before the next entry.

Evaluate your current rule implementation systems and identify improvement opportunities.

This is an interactive exercise. The reflection and structured worksheet open in your dashboard tools. Read through the prompt below first, then come back to complete it.