New Trader Step-by-Step Roadmap
Purpose: take a complete beginner from “I don’t know what I’m looking at” to “I can follow one simple process with basic risk control.”
Just learn the chart (no trading)
Open a price chart for one instrument/market (pick one and stick with it for 30 days). Use candles/bars (not line).
Learn: each candle/bar has open, high, low, close.
Learn: each candle/bar has open, high, low, close.
Zoom + move
Learn to zoom in/out and scroll left/right.
Practice switching between recent history and older history without getting lost.
Practice switching between recent history and older history without getting lost.
Highs, lows, and levels
Mark the most recent swing high and swing low.
Draw a horizontal line/zone at each.
Save a screenshot.
Draw a horizontal line/zone at each.
Save a screenshot.
Support and resistance basics
Find 3 obvious areas where price reacted more than once.
Draw 3 horizontal lines/zones.
Screenshot your chart.
Draw 3 horizontal lines/zones.
Screenshot your chart.
Trend vs range
Uptrend = higher highs + higher lows.
Downtrend = lower highs + lower lows.
Range = price bouncing between levels with no clear direction.
Downtrend = lower highs + lower lows.
Range = price bouncing between levels with no clear direction.
Add moving averages (simple trend guide)
Add two moving averages: one “faster” and one “slower.”
Observation rule (not a trade rule yet): price above both tends to be more bullish, below both more bearish.
Screenshot a few examples.
Observation rule (not a trade rule yet): price above both tends to be more bullish, below both more bearish.
Screenshot a few examples.
Weekly review
Save 5 screenshots from the week.
Label each: trend up / trend down / range.
Write one line: “Why did I label it that way?”
Label each: trend up / trend down / range.
Write one line: “Why did I label it that way?”
What “risk” means
Risk = what you lose when you’re wrong.
The first goal is learning to control losses, not chasing wins.
The first goal is learning to control losses, not chasing wins.
What a stop loss is
Stop loss = the price level that proves your idea is wrong.
Practice: place a pretend entry and put the stop beyond a logical “wrong” point (usually beyond a swing).
Practice: place a pretend entry and put the stop beyond a logical “wrong” point (usually beyond a swing).
What a target is
Target = where you plan to exit if price moves your way.
Target = where you plan to exit if price moves your way.
Practice choosing a target using the next logical level/zone.
Target = where you plan to exit if price moves your way.
Practice choosing a target using the next logical level/zone.
Points and distance
Measure distance from entry to stop in points (or ticks/pips—whatever your market uses).
Measure distance from entry to target the same way.
Learn to avoid trades where stop is huge and target is tiny.
Measure distance from entry to target the same way.
Learn to avoid trades where stop is huge and target is tiny.
Do 5 practice trades
Write down entry idea, stop level, target level.
Measure stop distance (points) and target distance (points).
Screenshot before and after.
Measure stop distance (points) and target distance (points).
Screenshot before and after.
Learn “R” (simple version)
1R = your stop distance.
If your target is twice the stop distance, that’s 2R.
(No position sizing required to learn this.)
If your target is twice the stop distance, that’s 2R.
(No position sizing required to learn this.)
Weekly review
Count how many trades followed your basic rules.
Count how many were random.
Write the top 2 mistakes.
Count how many were random.
Write the top 2 mistakes.
Spot 10 examples
No trading. Just mark:
where entry would be
where invalidation would be
where target would be
where entry would be
where invalidation would be
where target would be
Define entry
Write one clear entry rule: “I enter when ___ happens.”
Define stop
Write one clear stop rule: “My stop level is ___ because that proves I’m wrong.”
.
Define target
Write one clear target rule: “My first target is ___.”
Take 3 practice trades
Only this setup. No exceptions.
Journal + screenshot each one.
Journal + screenshot each one.
Weekly review
For each trade, answer:
Did I follow my setup rules?
Was the stop logical?
Did I have space to the target?
Did I follow my setup rules?
Was the stop logical?
Did I have space to the target?
Build a 5-item checklist
Market state is clear (trend or range)
Setup is present
Entry trigger happened
Stop placement is logical
Target is planned before entry
Setup is present
Entry trigger happened
Stop placement is logical
Target is planned before entry
Daily routine
Pre-session: mark key levels + decide trend/range
During: wait for your setup only
During: wait for your setup only
Mistake day
Pick your worst trade and rewrite what you should have done using your rules.
Mini playbook (one page)
Include:
what you trade
your one setup definition
entry rule
stop rule
target rule
“don’t trade when…” list
what you trade
your one setup definition
entry rule
stop rule
target rule
“don’t trade when…” list
Review + next focus
Pick ONE focus for next month:
entries, or exits, or discipline
entries, or exits, or discipline
Build your system.
Trade it with discipline.
You need one process, applied consistently.
Cancel anytime • Replays included