Journal
Building a confirmation stack you can audit
Confirmation is where many traders become vague. “Wait for strength” is not a rule. A rule states what must appear on the chart before capital is at risk.
Necessary versus optional
Necessary items belong in every reversal: a break of a defined structure line, and a retest that fails to reclaim the prior impulse with conviction. Optional filters — such as a specific oscillator print — can refine size, not grant permission alone.
Writing the stack
We ask workshop attendees to list rules in order. If rule two fires without rule one, the setup is invalid even if the story feels persuasive. This removes the habit of rearranging criteria after a loss.
Auditing after the fact
Once a week, pull five closed flips and score each rule yes or no. Patterns emerge quickly: many accounts skip the retest because they fear missing the open. Naming that skip is the first correction.