Begin with price and timeframe
A chart is a record of price behavior. Start with the timeframe that matches your decision: a long-term investor and an intraday trader should not read the same candle in the same way.
Look for structure first
Mark recent highs and lows, observe whether the market is making higher or lower swings and identify areas where price has reacted repeatedly. Support and resistance are zones, not guaranteed turning points.
Use indicators as context
Indicators can organize information, but adding more of them does not automatically improve a decision. Build a simple thesis, define what would prove it wrong and manage the position size accordingly.