2026 - Rules

2026 - Rules

Hi everyone. I’ve been using AI over the last few months to help me track, review, and develop what I do. Primarily, this has been to try and automate things, as I’ve found that every major loss I’ve suffered is usually either emotional, such as FOMO, or from breaking/bending my own rules.

This is not financial advice. Trading is risky, and what works for me may not work for you.

Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to fully automate or semi-automate my method. AI has been hit and miss in various areas, and humans have told me that it can't be done. Still - I press on. The rules I follow can be broken down into the 10 below.

1. I mainly trade XAUUSD. For speed of movement and liquidity, but these can be applied to most instruments. 

2. I use H4 and H1 for direction and context.

3. I use M15, M5, and M1 for timing.

4. I watch the 50 MA / EMA area and RSI(40), especially the 50 level.

5. I prefer trading with the stronger direction.

6. I look for reactions from peaks, valleys, trend channels, support/resistance zones, and turncoat levels.

7. Do not chase gold/crypto after a large move because the retrace can be massive.

8. If I miss the ideal entry, the better rule is to wait for a retrace/retest or skip.

9. On a small account, I keep the lot size small and take controlled profits.

10. The hardest part is not finding trades. The hardest part is following the rules.

I’d also like to give explanations for the structure and wording. Let’s take #8 for example. While it can be left up to interpretation, my general rule is that if 6 Heikin Ashi candles on the M15 timeframe pass and there’s no retrace, I skip. That is about an hour and a half. It can be more or less for you, because everyone has a different level of patience and will see different things on a chart.

The rules are meant to assist and guide, but they are open enough for you to tailor them to your own style. Just ensure that you finalize your rules and stick to them.

If you already have your own rules, great. If not, make sure you have some. Rules help you to iron things out. You can modify or remove areas as you test to see how things work.

Another set of recommendations would be:

1. Practice for 3-6 months.

2. Use a demo or cent account before going live.

3. Refine your rules before going live.

4. If you don’t develop your own system, learn one and make it your own before proceeding.

Once again, trading isn’t for everyone. In the same way that auto mechanics, programming, etc. isn’t for everyone. Everyone can learn, but not everyone will be good at it.

In closing, I’d like to highlight that I’ve taken small accounts to larger amounts on more than one occasion. I have 3 documented cases going over $1,000, coming from $100 once and $10 twice. This doesn’t mean I won’t fail again, but it does mean what I’ve built works for me. It may not work for you, but the core concept will. That is:

1. Make or learn a system.

2. Practice.

3. Stick to your rules.

That’s put simply, much like the rules as I’ve explained above.

Lastly? Probably most important. Set a target. Whether it's a percentage or a dollar amount. Set a target and stick to it. Daily, weekly or monthly depending on your trading style. Even if the market proves you right when you're not in it, it's better for the market to hurt your feelings than your balance. 

As always — may the pips be with you.