The session routine: before, during, after

The difference between a beginner and a trader who improves rarely shows during the trade. It shows before, in the preparation, and after, in the journal. A fixed routine removes decisions you would otherwise make in a rush: when the market speeds up, all you have to do is apply what you wrote in a cool head.

Here is a typical routine for the US session, in Paris time. Adjust the times during the weeks when the clocks change out of step.