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Trader awareness card 12 / 32

The Unplanned Exit

A Cautionary Tale of Poor Exit Planning

The Unplanned Exit awareness card

Card meaning

A door stands in the fog without a signpost, its destination hidden beyond the threshold. It is like planning an entry carefully but leaving the exit to vagueness, emotion, or an on-the-spot decision.

“Once you step through that unfamiliar door, there is no way back.”

Signs to notice

  • “I’ll know when to get out” mentality
  • Moving targets for profit taking
  • Panic exiting or frozen indecision
  • No written exit rules

Lessons to learn

  • Plan the exit with the same care as the entry.
  • Both stop-loss and take-profit must be defined.
  • Ambiguity is the enemy of execution.
  • Clear exits create clear minds.

Before you enter, know the way out.

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