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TradingPhD12 m+160 XP
Trade journaling & performance review: the edge nobody talks about
Journal structure, pattern analysis, the weekly review process & measuring your actual edge
Most trade journals capture the outcome (profit/loss) but not the inputs that produced it. A useful journal captures: the setup type, the timeframe, the session, the risk-to-reward ratio at entry, the reason you took the trade, the emotional state at entry, whether you followed your rules, and a screenshot. The goal is to have enough data to answer: which setups have positive expectancy, which sessions perform best, and where am I deviating from my rules?
Key Points
- ▸Capture setup type, not just result
- ▸Record emotional state — patterns emerge over time
- ▸Screenshot every trade before and after
- ▸Weekly review: 1h minimum, no exceptions