Do you have trading rules? Do you follow a trading strategy? Write down the single word that represents your MAIN CRITERION and a MANDATORY CONDITION — just one word that defines your entire system.
I’ll start: *ALERT*. I am only permitted to enter a trade if an alert has triggered for it. I don’t go hunting for entries in a screener or fabricate setups. I enter only according to a specific scenario and at a specific point.
This criterion PROTECTS ME from acting impulsively or emotionally. Of course, there are other rules, too, but "ALERT" encapsulates my entire system: Find, Plan, Wait, Execute.