The Daily Plan

Excerp from p155-156 of Dr Alexander Elder's "Come into My Trading Room"

In the book Elder outlines his Impulse Momentum system, which in my opinion has merits for momentum trading.

A day in front of a live screen includes many dead hours when nothing
seems to happen. People grow bored and restless, and the next thing
you know, a day-trader turns his screen into an entertainment center.
Professionals tend to follow a timetable to reinforce their discipline.
Your trading day should start before the opening. Give yourself at
least half an hour to assemble and analyze overnight data. Watch the
first half hour of trading with no interruptions, not even phone calls. If you put on a trade, then manage it. Otherwise dedicate two hours to
research, database maintenance, reading a trading magazine or a book,
or trolling the net for fresh ideas, all the while in front of the screen.
Suspend everything if the market looks close to giving a buy or sell
signal. Have lunch at your desk if you are managing a trade. Review
trading-related posts on the net and put more time into research.
Consider keeping exercise equipment in your trading room, such as a
stationary bicycle or a rowing machine. A healthy mind in a healthy
body. As the closing approaches, the market again demands your undivided
attention, especially if you are exiting a trade.
There are two reasons to have a daily plan. You need to make sure
that all the necessary work gets done, trades found, placed, exited,
recorded, and research conducted. The other reason is to remind yourself
that you are day-trading as a business and not for amusement and
that you are serious about success.