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A short definition of risk-reward ratio, the formula for calculating it from a planned stop and target, a worked example, and how it differs from R-multiple and expectancy, which measure a trade after it closes rather than before entry.
A short definition of risk-reward ratio, the formula for calculating it from a planned stop and target, a worked example, and how it differs from R-multiple and expectancy, which measure a trade after it closes rather than before entry.
Why a trading journal should log emotional state as a structured, consistent tag before and after every trade, and how to read the pattern against win rate and R-multiple during a monthly review, instead of tracking a single named bias like FOMO or revenge trading.
A practical comparison of Notion and BitStat for logging trades: what Notion's databases, relations, and formulas can do out of the box, what has to be built by hand, and where a dedicated trading journal still saves the setup work.
Rule-breaking usually happens under stress, after a loss, or during a winning streak, because the rule depended on willpower in the moment instead of a structure that requires no decision at all.
A portfolio tracker shows what you hold and its current value. A trading journal records how each trade was entered, managed, and closed, and why. They answer different questions.
Most trading journals fail within a few weeks, not from a missing template but from skipping the review habit after losing sessions. Here is how to build a journaling routine that actually survives a bad week.
Daily and maximum drawdown are calculated differently and reset on different schedules. Here is how the two limits actually work, and how to track both in a trading journal instead of guessing from your account balance.
A category-by-category look at trading journal options in 2026: spreadsheets, notes apps, platform trade history, and dedicated software, so the choice matches how you actually log trades.
A prop firm challenge is a paid trading evaluation with a profit target and strict loss limits. See the typical two-phase structure, real FTMO rule examples, and what changes after you pass.
Expectancy is the average result a trading strategy produces per trade, measured in R. See the formula, a worked example, and why pairing it with trade frequency (opportunity) matters.
Loss aversion is the tendency to feel a loss more intensely than an equal gain, and in trading it shows up as cutting winners short while holding losers too long. See the research behind it, how to spot the pattern in a trading journal, and how to fix it with structure instead of willpower.
Excel and Google Sheets can log trades for free, but win rate, R-multiple, and profit factor still need manual formulas that quietly break as trade volume grows. See when a spreadsheet is still the right call, and what a dedicated trading journal actually adds beyond calculation.
