Is the index above its 50-day average? Has the stock's sector led over the past three months? Is volatility calm enough that a sensibly placed stop can survive? Three questions that have nothing to do with the stock, and still decide most of the outcome.

Is relative strength positive? Is the base clean — a real contraction rather than chop? Did volume dry up in the last pullback? And is there a business reason someone would buy here — growth, a new product, a swing to profitability? A business reason isn't mandatory on every trade, but it separates a pattern backed by real money from one resting on drawing alone.

Where exactly is the stop, and why there? What is the target, and which level supports it? Is the ratio at least two to one? What's the position size by calculation? How much open risk do I already carry, and how much of it sits in this same sector? And when is the next earnings date?

The rule: one no kills it. Not "almost qualifies". The market offers a new trade every day, and the biggest loss of a career is almost always the one entered on a "yes, but".