Consistent improvement requires consistent review. A structured weekly review process helps you identify patterns, celebrate wins, learn from losses, and make targeted adjustments. This article provides a complete framework.
When to Review
Schedule your weekly review for the same time each week. Weekend works for most traders—markets are closed and you have time for reflection.
Allocate 1-2 hours. Do not rush this. Quality review beats quick review.
The Review Framework
Follow this structure for comprehensive review:
Part 1: Statistical Review (20 minutes)
Calculate your weekly metrics: number of trades, wins, losses, win rate, total R, average R, profit factor, and largest win/loss.
Compare to your baseline expectations. Is this week normal, better, or worse than your averages?
Part 2: Trade-by-Trade Review (30-45 minutes)
Go through each trade and ask: Was this a valid setup? Did I follow my rules? What was my execution grade (A-F)? What could I have done better?
Categorize each trade: A-grade execution, B-grade execution, or execution error.
Part 3: Pattern Recognition (20 minutes)
Look for patterns across the week: What time of day were your best trades? What setups performed best? Were there common elements in losing trades? Any emotional patterns?
Part 4: Action Items (15 minutes)
Based on your review, identify: one thing to continue doing, one thing to stop doing, and one thing to start doing.
Be specific. “Trade better” is not actionable. “Wait for Order Flow confirmation before entering” is actionable.
Weekly Review Questions
Performance Questions:
Did I achieve my process goals this week? Was my risk management consistent? Did I trade my A-setups or take marginal trades?
Execution Questions:
Did I follow my entry rules? Were trades managed according to plan? Did position sizing stay disciplined throughout the week?
Psychology Questions:
How was my emotional state this week? Did emotions influence any trading decisions? What triggered any negative emotional states?
Improvement Questions:
What did I learn this week? What mistake will I not repeat? What success will I replicate?
The One-Page Weekly Summary
Create a one-page summary each week:
Week of: [Date]
Statistics:
Trades: [X]
Win Rate: [X%]
Total R: [+/- X]
Biggest Win: [X R]
Biggest Loss: [X R]
Grade Distribution:
A-Grade Trades: [X]
B-Grade Trades: [X]
Execution Errors: [X]
Best Trade: [Brief description and why]
Worst Trade: [Brief description and lesson]
Key Observation: [Most important pattern or insight]
Next Week Focus: [Specific improvement goal]
Monthly Aggregation
Every four weeks, aggregate your weekly reviews:
Total statistics for the month. Pattern trends across weeks. Progress on improvement goals. Major lessons learned.
Monthly review adds longer-term perspective. Some patterns only appear over multiple weeks.
Common Review Mistakes
Outcome Bias: Judging trades solely by profit/loss. A bad trade that made money is still a bad trade.
Skipping Losers: The natural tendency is to avoid painful review. Losing trades need the most attention.
No Action Items: Review without action items is just reflection. Always conclude with specific changes.
Too Many Changes: Trying to fix everything at once. Focus on one or two adjustments per week.
Key Takeaways
Schedule weekly review for the same time (weekends work well). Follow a structured framework: statistics, trade review, patterns, action items. Ask questions about performance, execution, psychology, and improvement. Create a one-page summary for quick reference. Aggregate monthly for longer-term patterns. Always conclude with specific, actionable improvements.