How to Track and Optimise Your Trading Performance

Overview

What gets measured gets improved. Learn to track your key performance metrics, maintain a trading journal, and use data to identify and fix your biggest weaknesses. Start logging every trade in a trading journal and review our best trading journals ranking to find the right tool. Pair quantitative tracking with trading psychology insights to address the emotional patterns behind your stats. Use these data-driven habits to sharpen every strategy in your playbook.

Steps

1. 1Choose a journaling tool: Tradervue, Edgewonk, TradesViz, or a spreadsheet.
2. 2Log every trade: entry, exit, stop, target, position size, setup type, and notes.
3. 3Calculate your key metrics: win rate, average R:R, profit factor, max drawdown, expectancy.
4. 4Review your journal weekly — look for patterns in your winning and losing trades.
5. 5Identify your best and worst setup types — double down on winners, cut losers.
6. 6Run a monthly performance review with equity curve analysis and drawdown tracking.

Pro Tips

• Expectancy = (win rate × avg win) − (loss rate × avg loss) — if it's positive, you have an edge.
• A high win rate with poor R:R can lose money; a low win rate with great R:R can be very profitable.
• Screenshot every trade setup — visual review is faster and more insightful than reading numbers.