What Makes a Great Trade Great (Beyond Profit)
Because Some of Your Best Trades Will Be Losers and That’s the Point
Let’s get this straight:
Not every winning trade is a good trade.
Not every losing trade is a bad trade.
That sounds counterintuitive until you realize:
Good trading is process-driven. Bad trading is outcome-chasing.
If you judge your trades only by the final result, you’ll:
Reinforce bad habits
Chase FOMO wins
Abandon great setups that simply didn’t work this time
Want to become a consistently great trader?
Then you need a new definition of a “great trade.”
The 5 Elements of a High-Quality Trade
Here’s the checklist real discretionary traders use—not just for review, but for self-respect:
🔹 1. Context Was Clear
You understood the market environment:
Trending vs. ranging
Session structure
Recent liquidity sweeps, reclaims, or key breaks
You were reacting to structure, not just a pattern.
🔹 2. Storyline Was Sharp
You had a clear hypothesis:
“Price should reject here because buyers are trapped below the POC.”
And you knew what would invalidate that idea.
🔹 3. Entry Was Clean
You waited for your confirmation:
Reclaim
Retest
Trap reversal
Shift + break
You didn’t rush. You didn’t force.
🔹 4. Risk Was Defined and Aligned
Your stop-loss made sense technically.
Your size respected your plan.
You didn’t double down on hope.
Even if the trade failed—you managed it like a professional.
🔹 5. Exit Followed a Process
Whether it was TP hit, partial scale, or break-even exit…
You had a reason. Not just a reaction.
So… What Makes It “Great”?
A great trade:
Aligned with your system
Made sense in context
Was executed with patience
Protected you from emotional sabotage
That’s it.
If it made money, great.
If it didn’t, you still won because the process was the point.
Thought Exercise
Look at your last 5 trades.
How many of them were good trades even if they lost?
How many were bad trades even if they won?
That question will shape your growth more than any indicator ever will.
Next Issue:
“Losing Days, Recovery Days, and The Emotional Reset Ritual”
You’ll learn how to reset fast after bad sessions without spiraling or tilting your week.
Subscribe if this hit home.
Comment: What’s one losing trade you’re proud of recently and why?