How to Review Your Trades for Maximum Improvement
Most traders either don't review trades at all or review them emotionally. Here's a structured process that generates actionable insights from your trade history.
Tutorials · May 15, 2026 · 5 min read
A losing trader reviews only their losing trades, looking for 'what went wrong.' A developing trader reviews all trades, looking for patterns. An elite trader reviews trades looking for what their process reveals about market conditions, their current psychological state, and whether their edge is currently active or dormant. The quality of the review determines the quality of the improvement.
The Post-Trade Review (Same Day)
Immediately after closing a position: screenshot the chart. Note: did the trade follow the plan exactly? If not, where did you deviate? Was the deviation impulsive or reasoned? Rate your process out of 10 (not the outcome — the process). A losing trade executed perfectly is a 10/10 process. A winning trade that violated the plan is a 3/10 process. Process quality, not outcome, drives long-term performance.
The Weekly Review (End of Week)
Review all trades from the week as a batch. Look for: which setup types had the best expectancy this week? Which sessions produced your best trades? Did your worst trades cluster on specific days or after specific emotional states (tired, impatient, revenge trading)? Calculate the week's expectancy and compare to your historical baseline — is your edge performing normally or is something off?
The Monthly Deep Dive
Once per month, analyze the full month's data quantitatively. Build a simple spreadsheet: setup type, session, day of week, outcome, R-multiple, emotional state. Cross-tabulate to find which dimensions most predict trade outcome. Over time this reveals your actual edge (which may differ from what you think your edge is) and your actual weaknesses (which may differ from what you've been working on).
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