When I speak about the need for a trading plan it is not because I got it right the first time. I did not have a plan I just did it.  I was told I needed a plan but at that point in my life I was always the exception.  I lost time and money because of it. I keep preaching about a trading plan because I believe it is the “easiest” way to develop into a better trader.  A plan forces you to make thought out decisions and you know why you are doing what you are doing and can adjust.  Knowing why you are making and losing money is important in trading and there is no way to accurately decipher this without a plan.

Rules Applied to a Strategy = Trading Plan 

At E-mini Executors that is how we define a trading plan.  A trading plan does not say buy here or sell there.  It is a foundation on which to execute a trade and adjust to changing market conditions.

Why is a trading plan important.

• Takes the pressure off-  you become a more efficient trader when you remove yourself.  Although I am sure algo’s are getting better your brain is always going to make a better trade than a computer.  I should clarify, a clear brain will always make a better trade.  Your goal should be to react more than make a decision.  You can react because you know why you are taking action and what you are risking. You have also taken on the responsibility to change if necessary.
• Repeatable- once again, anyone can put on risk and get lucky. If you want to make a trading a career you have to bring it on every trade.  That does not mean you win on every trade but it means that your next trade is better than the last. You know more about yourself, the market, and the relationship between the two.
• Confidence- if you lose on a trade and do not know why, how can you ever expect to get that money back.  Yes over the course of trading everyone makes a mistake or get caught on news but every trade cannot be a mistake.  If you do not have a plan to improve or know how to improve you are never going to be able to take a trade with confidence.  A trading plan is the light at the end of the tunnel when you are suffering losses.

Strategy

• Adaptable- a strategy must be able to adapt to a changing market.  It must also be able to adapt to your internal changes.  If nothing changes there would be limited chances for profit. Every trader must root for changes but it does not matter if you cannot adapt.
• Definable- there are times when you need to override your strategy but that happens for less frequently than we think.  A majority of your trades you should have a definite reason for a action.
• Quickly explainable- if you can’t explain your strategy or reason for a trade in a minute or less it is probably too complicated.  Until you fully understand your strategy a majority of your “indicators” are just putting a band-aid over a gaping wound that is your lack of understanding.
• Personal- You are an input into the way you execute.  You cannot be something you are not.  Do not get me wrong there are things about yourself that you need to bend to trading but strategy should not be that one.  It is hard to fake being tall and expensive to be a type of trader you are not.