Rule adherence
Knowing the correct rule is not the same as following it.
A trader can know to stop after predefined conditions and still continue when the market feels close to turning. The journal should show when, how often, under what conditions, and at what cost.
- Respecting planned sessions
- Respecting maximum trades
- Respecting maximum loss
Consistency
Discipline includes sizing, timing, and setup selection.
Discipline is not a personality label. It is a set of behaviors that can be reviewed: contract size, trade timing, setup quality, and whether the trade matched the plan.
- Keeping position size consistent
- Avoiding unplanned setups
- Stopping after predefined conditions
Improvement loop
Measure one behavior before trying to fix everything.
A useful review ends with one guardrail: stop after a specific trigger, reduce size in a weak window, or pause when the setup quality drops.
- Choose a high-cost behavior
- Create a next-session rule
- Review whether the rule changed outcomes