Prop Trading Education: Your Pre-Market Daily Routine (Checklist + Example Plan)
Prop trading success requires learning both strategy and the development of consistency to execute that strategy within Prop Firm Rules; Discipline matters as equally as Entries & Exits, if you have ever opened up the charts and traded for 10 min, you have experienced it…it’s likely you’re reacting and not executing a plan.
Andrew discusses in the video below why a Daily Routine is an often overlooked skill in prop trader success. The market is not your enemy; most traders do not lose money due to setups “not working”, they lose money due to lack of focus, chasing trades, ignoring key levels or breaking their own risk management rules.
There is no Complex Fix, you simply need to develop a rrocess that you can repeatedly follow before every session; This Process will help you identify what Trades you should take on, Avoid Impulsive Entry into a Trade and Stay Calm When the Market Tests Your Patience.
You will find in this Video, a copyable routine, a pre-market checklist and a simple 30 day program to urn this into a habit.
“A strong pre-market routine for prop trading education includes: journal review, economic calendar check, mindset check, marking key levels, setting alerts, building a watchlist, defining session rules, and end-of-day journaling with screenshots.”
Andrew Lockwood, Head of Trader Education FT+
Why this matters in prop trading (education that actually improves results)
In a prop firm challenge, you’re not just trying to make money. You’re trying to perform inside constraints: daily loss limits, drawdown rules, consistency expectations, and psychological pressure. That’s why prop trader education must include routines.
A routine does three things:
- Prevents bad trades (impulse, boredom, FOMO).
- Reduces rule-breaking (risk limits, revenge trading, doubling down).
- Builds consistency (same process, every day, regardless of mood).
And consistency is what passes evaluations.
The 30–60 minute pre-market routine (prop trader education framework)
Andrew’s core point is simple: get to your screens 30–60 minutes before the session you trade. Not because you need more screen time, but because you need preparation time.
Example daily routine (copy/paste table)
| Time (relative) | What to do | Why it helps prop traders |
| 60–30 mins before | Review yesterday’s journal | Stops repeating the same mistakes |
| 60–30 mins before | Check economic calendar | Avoids getting caught by major news |
| 60–30 mins before | Mindset check | Prevents emotional trading and tilt |
| 30–15 mins before | Mark key levels (S/R zones) | Avoids trading into “roadblocks” |
| 30–15 mins before | Set alerts | Reduces chasing and overtrading |
| 15–5 mins before | Watchlist + game plan | Stops you trading everything |
| During session | Follow session rules + checklist | Keeps you inside risk and rules |
| End of session | Journal + screenshots + takeaways | Turns every day into education |
Pre-market checklist
Use this as your prop trading education checklist before you take a single trade:
- Journal review: What did I do well yesterday? What must I avoid today?
- Calendar check: Any major releases or speakers during my session?
- Mindset check: Am I tired, angry, distracted, or emotionally charged?
- Key levels marked: Where is support/resistance that can block targets?
- Alerts set: Am I waiting for price to come to me (not chasing)?
- Watchlist finalised: What am I trading today, and what am I ignoring?
- Strategy defined: Trend, reversal, range (no improvising mid-session)
- Risk rules set: Daily max loss, per-trade risk, max number of trades
If you can’t tick it, you don’t trade. That is discipline in its simplest form.
Trading session rules that stop most challenge failures
A lot of prop firm challenge failures have nothing to do with strategy. They come from behaviour.
Andrew’s non-negotiables are worth putting on a sticky note:
1) No impulsive entries
If the trade isn’t in your plan, it isn’t a trade.
2) No FOMO trading
Chasing price usually means poor entry, larger stop, and weaker decision-making.
3) No doubling down
Trying to “get it back” is how a small red day becomes a failed account.
Pro tip: keep a simple entry checklist beside you. If you can’t tick most of the boxes, you skip the trade.
End-of-day routine (where prop trading education compounds)
If you want to improve fast, your best teacher is your own behaviour.
At the end of the session:
- Log your trades while it’s still fresh (especially your emotions).
- Add screenshots (entry, management, exit).
- Write 2–3 takeaways from the day.
After 30 days, you’ll have a personal data set. That’s where real prop trader education starts.
30-day prop trading education challenge (simple, effective)
For the next 30 trading days:
- Arrive 30–60 minutes early
- Do the checklist
- Trade only your watchlist
- Follow your session rules
- Journal and screenshot every day
Anyone can have a good day. Consistency comes from process.
Keep learning: next steps in your prop trader education
Add these internal links (swap in your URLs):
- Top 10 Prop Trading Strategies for 2026 (Picked by Real Traders) → [Click Here]
- Top 7 Reasons Prop Traders Blow Their Accounts (Do This Instead!) → [Click Here]
- Prop Trading Education Hub → [Click Here]
- Trading Psychology → [Click Here]
- Mentoring with Andrew Lockwood → [Click Here]
FAQs: Prop Trading Education
Prop trading education teaches traders how to perform consistently inside prop firm rules, combining routines, risk management, psychology, journaling, and strategy execution.
A pre-market routine should include journal review, an economic calendar check, a mindset check, marking key levels, setting alerts, building a watchlist, and defining session rules.
A routine reduces impulsive trades, keeps risk controlled, and builds consistency. That combination helps traders avoid rule breaks and limit emotional decision-making.
For most traders, 30–60 minutes before the session they trade is enough to prepare properly without overanalysing.
Important Educational Disclaimer
All content on this page is for educational purposes only.
It is not financial advice or an invitation to trade.
All examples use simulated trading data in a simulated environment with virtual funds.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Always do your own research before applying any trading concepts in live markets.