Less Noise, Better Decisions: 5 Resolutions for Investors

The time for New Year’s resolutions has arrived. You know the ones: exercise more, eat healthier, stress less, stop buying the latest gadgets online at midnight.

Setting goals is a great idea. Let’s be honest, though: most resolutions don’t make it past the second week of January. Still, don’t let that stop you from giving it another shot.

This year, however, we can also try something different. Along with going for more walks, drinking your matcha tea, and spending less time doom-scrolling on your phone, why not add a few habits that keep your portfolio in good shape, too? A healthy financial routine can be just as rewarding as a healthy body, and it requires fewer push-ups.

Your New Year’s Financial Goals (That You’ll Actually Keep)

Instead of setting big, ambitious financial goals, let’s focus on small daily habits that help you stay steady, alert, and objective. These ideas build on what we’ve covered in the last four issues of the ChartWatchers Newsletter. If you missed them, the archives are worth a quick visit.

Let’s get to it.

#1: Be Disciplined (Just 10 Minutes a Day)

After your morning coffee (or matcha tea), spend about 10 minutes checking in on the market with a quick review of your dashboard and the Market Summary page. This will help you determine the following:

• The overall trend direction
• Which sectors are leading and which are lagging
• Whether market breadth is strengthening or weakening
• Whether investors are bullish or bearish

This keeps your “market antennae” up and helps you spot price action shifts.

#2: Get Organized (You’ll Thank Yourself Later) 

Getting organized sounds exciting until you have to do it. But here’s the reality: a little upfront effort goes a long way.

If you want to spend less time bouncing between charts of stocks, ETFs, or any other asset, organizing your ChartLists is one of the best things you can do. They’re useful for keeping track of your open positions, monitoring assets you’re considering, or following specific sector or industry groups.

There’s no limit to the types of ChartLists you can create, and the time savings are real.

#3: Scan the Market (Let the Tools Do the Hunting)

You don’t need to comb through thousands of charts every day. That’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. 

Instead, set up a few simple scans to look for assets that meet your entry or exit criteria. You don’t have to run them daily, but just having them ready means you can run them in seconds when you need them. 

Need ideas? Start with the Sample Scan Library, which includes several pre-built scans. Once you’ve become familiar with those, you can try building your own.

#4. Set Alerts (So You Don’t Have to Always Watch)

Staring at charts all day is a great way to miss what’s happening in real life, especially if you made a resolution to not spend too much time scrolling.

Let the alerts do the watching. When you set automatic alerts, you get notified when price levels or technical conditions are met, whether it’s a basic price threshold or something involving indicators.

If you’re comfortable with scanning, alerts will feel familiar. They use the same logic.

#5. Stay Calm and Trust Your Charts

The stock market is an unpredictable beast. It’ll surprise you and test your patience. And the news, social media, and random opinions will often tempt you to make emotional decisions rather than objective ones. So, for 2026 and beyond, commit to doing your own analysis, protecting against losses, and let the charts guide your decisions.

It’s smarter and healthier.

It’s All About Building a Foundation

These goals aren’t about hitting a specific number each month or trying to “beat” the market. They’re about building routines that are achievable, consistent, repeatable, and realistic. These small habits add up and will make you a more confident and objective investor.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2026.