Write down three things you won’t trade, no matter the offer. That short list will save you from a lot of bad deals.

Deciding your limits in advance is what makes them hold. In the moment, with pressure applied and something attractive on the table, almost anything can be justified, and the justification will sound excellent. A short list written when nothing is at stake is much harder to argue with than your own judgement under heat.

Write down three things you will not trade, in plain words, and keep the list short enough to remember. Do not qualify them. Next time an offer arrives with urgency attached, the answer is already settled and your attention is free for everything else.