A decision journal separates the information available before a trade from the outcome known afterward. Record the thesis, market conditions, entry and exit rules, order type, intended risk,…
Understand the mechanism
A decision journal separates the information available before a trade from the outcome known afterward. Record the thesis, market conditions, entry and exit rules, order type, intended risk, execution details, screenshots, emotions and post-trade observations. A profitable trade can be poorly executed, and a losing trade can be a model example of disciplined process.
Before applying this topic in a live market, write down the information available before the decision. Distinguish a fact confirmed by a platform specification or official source from an interpretation drawn from a chart. If a key data point is missing, treat it as unknown rather than filling it with a convenient estimate.
Worked example or scenario
If a trade earns +2R but violated position sizing, the journal should mark the process error. If a rule-following trade loses −1R, the review need not treat it as a failure of discipline.The numbers and scenarios in this example are educational illustrations. They are not live quotes, account-specific contract terms, backtested guarantees or a suggestion to place this trade. Consider how the outcome changes when costs, a different contract multiplier, or a faster market are introduced.
Common mistakes and limitations
Tracking only wins and losses, then optimising around lucky outcomes rather than repeatable decisions.
Check whether any assumption depends on a fixed spread, a guaranteed fill, a historical relationship remaining stable, or the availability of a financial product in your country. In practice, execution rules and platform legal entities differ. A correct formula using an incorrect contract multiplier can still produce a dangerously wrong position size.
Four-point practical checklist
- 1
Step 1
Identify the exact instrument and contract terms before doing any arithmetic.
- 2
Step 2
State the risk and assumptions in account currency, not only in chart points.
- 3
Step 3
Check current primary-source information and write down what could invalidate the idea.
- 4
Step 4
Build a journal row with date, instrument, setup tag, pre-trade plan, fill price, R outcome and one improvement.
Practice assignment
Build a journal row with date, instrument, setup tag, pre-trade plan, fill price, R outcome and one improvement.
Complete the task in a journal, spreadsheet or demo account and keep a record of your assumptions. If you are unable to explain the possible loss in your own account currency, do not substitute a larger position for a missing calculation.
Reflect and self-check
Does understanding this lesson guarantee profit?
No. Understanding mechanisms helps evaluate decisions; it cannot predict market movements or remove trading losses.
Can I use this lesson with any broker?
The principles may transfer, but prices, product rules, contract multipliers, protections and country eligibility must be checked for each provider.