Why a same-day debrief improves review quality
Waiting until the weekend to evaluate trades often removes key decision context. A short debrief right after exit gives your weekly review better signal, especially when you compare planned risk from your risk plan checklist against what actually happened.
Post-trade debrief checklist
- Exit reason is written clearly. Use one primary reason code, then add one sentence of context from your exit checklist.
- Plan adherence is scored. Mark whether entry, management, and exit followed your pre-defined rules.
- Execution quality is reviewed. Note slippage, order choice, and whether execution improved or reduced edge.
- Context changes are captured. Record unusual volatility, event risk, or liquidity conditions that changed the setup.
- Adjustment path is summarized. If you adjusted, log what changed and link to your adjustment notes.
- One process action is set. Define a single improvement action to test on the next similar setup.
Debrief template fields
| Field | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Primary exit reason | Enables clean filtering in reviews | Target hit at planned level |
| Plan adherence score | Separates process from outcome | 4/5 (late partial close) |
| Execution note | Tracks fill quality patterns | Used market order during spread widening |
| Context change | Explains outlier behavior | Volatility expanded after headline |
| Next-action note | Creates measurable iteration | Use limit ladder for first scale-out |
How to connect this to weekly review
Run this checklist immediately after each closed position, then aggregate those notes in your performance review. This keeps weekly sessions focused on patterns instead of reconstructing memory gaps.
Debrief questions
- Was my exit decision consistent with the original plan?
- Did execution quality help or hurt the trade result?
- What market condition changed the setup behavior?
- What single process adjustment should I test next?
Related guides
Use this checklist with the entry checklist, exit checklist, trade adjustment checklist, and weekly review checklist.
FAQ
Do I need a debrief for winning trades?
Yes. Debriefs are mainly about process quality, not only fixing losing trades.
How is this different from a weekly review?
The debrief captures immediate context after one trade. Weekly review compares patterns across many trades.