Trade review framework
Post-Trade Review Process: A Simple Framework for Traders
The trade is over; the lesson is not. A good review process turns a closed position into feedback you can use on the next one — and most traders skip it because no one showed them a repeatable one.
Start free — no cardWhat it is
Why a process beats good intentions
Most traders "review" by glancing at the P&L and feeling good or bad. That is not a process, and it teaches the wrong lesson: it rewards trades that won and punishes trades that lost, regardless of whether they were good decisions.
A real post-trade review separates the two questions every trade answers — did it make money, and did you trade it well — and grades the second one, because the second one is the only part you control and the only part that compounds.
The framework
A five-step post-trade review
- 1
Restate the play
What setup was this supposed to be, and what were its rules? A trade with no play cannot be reviewed, only regretted.
- 2
Separate outcome from execution
Note whether it won, then set that aside. The rest of the review is about the decision, not the result.
- 3
Score what you controlled
Grade entry, stop, exit, and sizing against the play. These are self-reported, on purpose — only you know what really happened.
- 4
Tag the behavior
FOMO, hesitation, moved stop, cut early — whatever drove the trade, recorded honestly.
- 5
Write the one lesson
A single sentence you can apply next session. More than one and none of them stick.
Common mistakes
What breaks a review process
Only reviewing losers
Winners taken on broken rules are the most dangerous trades you have. Review them too.
Reviewing on emotion
A review done while still tilted grades the feeling, not the decision. Build a cadence instead.
No written play
Without rules to compare against, every review collapses into hindsight.
Too many lessons
Five takeaways per trade is zero takeaways. Pick one.
FAQ
Are the scores objective or self-reported?
Self-reported, by design. No software can see whether you hesitated, chased, or broke your own rule — only you can. Mettle structures that self-report so it is fast, honest, and comparable week to week, and keeps its analysis grounded in what you actually logged.
How often should I do a post-trade review?
Quickly after each trade or at end of day for the raw record, then a deeper pass weekly to find patterns. Mettle is built around that rhythm: fast logging in the moment, then a weekly review where Cass reflects back what you logged.
Is Mettle free to start?
Yes. You get full access free for 14 days with no card. We only ask for a card once you have reviewed three sessions, after the product has earned a place in your routine.
Run the process every session
Mettle turns this framework into a habit: log the trade, score what you controlled, and review the pattern weekly. Free to start, no card.
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