The Retrace Blog
Reviewing trades, reading your own metrics honestly, and building a journaling workflow that keeps you consistent — and funded.
Journaling XAUUSD on FTMO: a workflow that keeps you funded
Gold moves fast and prop rules are unforgiving. A concrete journaling workflow for trading XAUUSD under an FTMO-style challenge: tracking risk in R, session timing, avoiding revenge trades near targets, using the calendar and mood tags, and importing your cTrader statement so nothing slips through.
Why your win rate is lying to you
Win rate is the most quoted and least useful number in trading. A 70% win rate can quietly drain your account while a 40% system prints. Here is the math of expectancy, payoff ratio and profit factor, with worked examples, and how to read your real edge.
How to actually review your trades: a repeatable weekly workflow
Most traders "review" by scrolling the equity curve until they feel something. That is not review. Here is a concrete 20-minute weekly workflow that separates process from outcome, and turns your journal into one better rule every week.