Four Pillars of Trading
The four components every trading framework must address: direction, POI, entries, and management
The four pillars represent the complete structure of a trading approach. Pillar 1 (Market Direction) determines where price is heading on the 4-hour — mapping structure, identifying who is in control, and establishing expectation order flow. Pillar 2 (POI Selection) identifies where price will react — selecting 4-hour zones and then refining to mid-timeframe zones. Pillar 3 (Entries) defines when exactly to enter — the confirmation sequence from 4H zone interaction through mid-timeframe shift to 1-minute execution. Pillar 4 (Management) handles everything after entry — stop loss placement, target levels, partials, breakeven rules, and trade invalidation. Psychological issues typically trace back to a weakness in one of these pillars. Fix the pillar, and confidence follows naturally.
✓How to Recognize
- •Pillar 1 (Direction): 4H structure mapping, supply/demand control, expectation order flow
- •Pillar 2 (POI Selection): 4H zone identification, then mid-timeframe refinement
- •Pillar 3 (Entries): Confirmation sequence from 4H zone to mid-TF shift to 1m execution
- •Pillar 4 (Management): Stop loss, target, partials, breakeven, invalidation — all pre-defined
⚡How to Avoid
- →Skipping pillar 1 and going straight to entries (direction is the foundation)
- →Not pre-defining management rules before entering the trade
- →Blaming psychology when the problem is actually a weak pillar
- →Working on all four pillars simultaneously during the learning phase