Checklists work in domains where experts know what to do but skip steps under load. Trading qualifies. The missed items are never exotic: no stop placed, size not recalculated, earnings due tomorrow, a correlated position already open.
A usable checklist is short enough to complete under time pressure, five to eight items at most, and every item is a yes or no. Long lists get skipped entirely, which is worse than a short imperfect one.
Keep it visible and physically complete it. Read-only checklists become wallpaper within a week; ticking a box, even on paper, keeps the step from being assumed.
Related: pre-market-routine, implementation-intention, cognitive-load, trading-plan