Intentional Trading: How to Plan Your Setups Before You Click
Why Great Traders Plan the Trade Before They Click
GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS
Alright, so here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately…
The more I trade, the more I realise how important intentionality is. (I half mentioned it in an email last week…)
But what the heck does that even mean?!
Even if you’re a short-term day trader, being intentional about the trade you want to take and why, makes all the difference.
It forces you to slow down and think.
Not just “where should I enter,” but:
- What’s the narrative behind the trade?
- What would confirm I’m right?
- Where is my thesis wrong?
- How will I scale, manage, exit?
This gives you clarity and confidence, way more than just reacting to a candle…
Want to buy support and play an ‘A-B’ move?
Great…
Write it out. Think it through.
Waiting for price to show a reversal pattern at lows?
Same again, write it down, plan the play.
I see so many traders just reacting to price, labelling the trade as some kind of setup and then moving to the next one.
If that’s working for you, then great…but imagine how much better you could do with just a bit more intentionality behind each trade…
Here’s a great video example from SMB Capital.
It shows you the level of intention that they demand from their developing traders.
A deep write-up and break down of a gold trade….
Yep, it’s long, but that’s by design… it forces the trader to consider everything, and only by doing this can they spot areas for improvement.
Great traders aren’t reacting and hoping.
They’re planning, preparing, and analysing so that the clicking part becomes almost a formality.