Building a Simple Weekly Macro Routine

What you will learn

• A step-by-step weekly preparation routine.
• How to mark high-impact events and key price levels.
• How to write if-then scenarios instead of predictions.
• How to adjust risk around important events.

Explanation

A routine is a fixed set of steps you repeat every week. It saves time, reduces emotional decisions and makes your notes comparable. The goal is preparation, not prediction: you decide in advance how you will react to different outcomes.

A simple routine, for example on Sunday, in 30–45 minutes:

1. Review last week. What were the biggest moves in stocks, bonds, the dollar, gold and crypto? Was the mood risk-on or risk-off? Which news seemed to cause it?
2. Check the calendar. Write down the high-impact events for the markets you trade: central bank decisions, inflation, jobs reports, GDP and PMIs. Note the day, the time in your time zone (for Germany, CET or CEST) and the consensus.
3. Mark key levels. On the chart of each market you follow, mark a few important price levels: recent highs and lows and clear support and resistance zones (areas where price has often turned). Keep it to two or three per market.
4. Write scenarios. For each big event, write "If … then …" statements. For example: "If US CPI is clearly above consensus, I expect a stronger dollar as a tendency; I will not open new EUR/USD trades for 30 minutes after the release and will wait for price to react at my marked levels."
5. Set risk rules for the week. For example: smaller position sizes on event days, no new trades just before high-impact releases, and a maximum weekly loss after which you stop.
6. Review at the end of the week. Which scenario happened? Did you follow your plan? Write one lesson learned.

A scenario is not a forecast. You do not need to know which one happens. You only need to know what you will do in each case, including "do nothing".

Worked example

Hypothetical example: a trader with a €5,000 account normally risks 1% per trade. Planned risk is the amount lost if the stop is hit at the planned price. Excluded: spreads, fees and slippage, which can make the real loss larger.

1. Normal planned risk: €5,000 × 1% = €50 per trade.
2. Rule: on high-impact event days, risk is halved: €50 ÷ 2 = €25.
3. Maximum weekly loss: 3% of €5,000 = €150. After that, no new trades until next week.

Scenarios for Thursday: "If the ECB sounds clearly hawkish, I look for long EUR/USD setups only after price holds above my marked resistance. If dovish, I look for short setups only below support. If unclear, I do nothing."

Common mistake

Practice activity

On paper: choose one market you follow. Write your routine for next week: (1) two high-impact events with day and consensus (use hypothetical values if needed), (2) two key levels, (3) two if-then scenarios per event, and (4) your risk per trade on normal and event days for a €3,000 account with 1% normal risk and half risk on event days.

Key takeaways

• A weekly routine is preparation, not prediction.
• Combine the calendar, a few key levels and if-then scenarios.
• Reduce risk around high-impact events and set a weekly loss limit.
• Review each week to improve the routine.

Next step

In the final lesson you will combine macro context with technical analysis in a complete worked planning example.