Knowledge only helps if it becomes a repeatable routine. An intraday plan is a short written document that tells you what to trade, when, how, and — crucially — when to stop. Fast trading gives you no time to improvise, so the decisions must be made in advance, calmly.
A five-step plan
- 1. Instrument & session: which markets, and which hours you will trade.
- 2. Levels: mark PDH, PDL, the Asian range and key round numbers.
- 3. Setups: the specific ORB, pullback or range plays you will take.
- 4. Risk: fixed small percentage, stop rules, and a hard daily loss limit.
- 5. Review: log every trade and study the results afterwards.
Notice that risk and a daily loss limit are built into the plan, not bolted on. Deciding in advance that you stop after a set loss for the day protects you from the emotional spiral that fuels overtrading — the single fastest way a scalper wrecks an account.
Finally, keep a trading journal. Recording each trade, the reason for it and the outcome turns random screen time into feedback you can actually learn from. A plan you follow and review beats a clever idea you trade on impulse, every time.
A written five-step plan — instrument, levels, setups, risk, review — is what turns scattered scalping ideas into a disciplined routine.