Reflections (Behavioral Record)
Purpose
Reflections are timestamped behavioral snapshots.
They capture your execution state, intent, and observed behavior at specific moments so TradeMonkey can analyze what actually happened, not what you later remember.
Reflections turn subjective experience into structured evidence that can be replayed, compared, and analyzed across time.
They are not a diary.
They are behavioral records.
What a Reflection Captures
A reflection can be trade-linked or free-form.
In both cases, it captures what you observed about your behavior, not commentary or self-judgment.
Trade-Linked Reflections
When attached to a trade, reflections typically capture:
Emotional State
One or more labels (e.g. Calm, Confident, Fear, FOMO, Frustration)
Conviction (1–10)
How strong the setup or decision felt at that moment
Plan Adherence
Whether execution followed your plan (Yes / Partial / No)
Notes
A brief, factual description of what you saw and did
Tags (optional)
Context such as setup, session, or strategy
(e.g. London open, breakout, scalp)
Trade-linked reflections appear:
Inside the Trade Thread (timeline evidence)
In Behavioral Recap (condensed replay)
In Drift Detection and analytics (pattern aggregation)
Free-Form Reflections (State Snapshots)
You can also create reflections not attached to a trade.
These are used to capture execution state or observations outside of a specific position, such as:
Pre-session plans or expectations
Post-session reviews
Days you chose not to trade
Noticing emerging behavioral patterns
Mental state during drawdowns or recovery periods
These reflections live in the Behavioral Record and can still be used in higher-level analysis.
When Reflections Are Recorded
At Entry (Trade-Linked)
Capture:
Entry emotions
Entry conviction
Entry plan adherence
Brief note explaining the decision
This records intent at the moment of commitment.
At Exit (Trade-Linked)
Capture:
Exit emotions
Exit conviction
Exit plan adherence
Exit reason (target, stop, discretionary, etc.)
Brief note
This records decision quality under resolution.
After the Trade (Optional)
In the Trade Thread, you may add a reflection to capture:
What held
What drifted
What you noticed about your execution
Later reflections never overwrite earlier ones — they sit alongside them with their own timestamps.
On Non-Trading Days
Create a reflection to record:
Emotional state
Why you did or did not trade
Observations about discipline, patience, or impulse control
These snapshots help explain absence of trades, which is often as important as presence.
How Reflection Data Is Used
When reflections are logged consistently, TradeMonkey can surface:
Behavioral Performance Patterns
Results by emotional state
(e.g. Calm vs FOMO entries)
Conviction patterns
(e.g. low-conviction entries vs outcomes)
Conviction decay
Where confidence collapses between entry and exit
Execution Drift Signals
Performance when plan adherence is Yes vs Partial vs No
Clustering of rule violations by emotion, session, or setup
Behavioral precursors to poor exits or early closes
AI-Assisted Summaries (Optional)
When you choose to use AI:
Reflections provide the behavioral signal
AI summarizes patterns instead of repeating raw stats
Without reflections, analytics are limited to price and P&L only.
What Makes a Good Reflection
Good reflections are:
Structured
Emotions, conviction, and adherence are selected explicitly
Specific
Reference concrete context (session, setup, rule interaction)
Factual
Describe what happened, not how you judge yourself
Example (Entry)
Emotions: Calm, Confident
Conviction: 8/10
Plan Adherence: Yes
Notes: "Waited for pullback to support, three confluences present, entered 10 minutes after London open as planned."
Avoid vague venting like:
"Felt bad, market was stupid, I'm undisciplined."
That produces no usable signal.
Best Practices
Log close to the decision
Accuracy drops the longer you wait.
Be honest, not flattering
Record how it was, not how you wish it had been.
Be consistent, not exhaustive
A small set logged every time beats long notes logged occasionally.
Use depth selectively
More detail for emotional trades or rule breaks; lighter entries for routine trades.
Important Notes
Reflections are optional, but powerful.
Core trade tracking works without them; behavioral insight does not.
Reflections are descriptive, not prescriptive.
They document behavior. Interpretation and correction remain yours.
Imported trades contain financial data only.
You can add reflections later to include those trades in behavioral analysis.
Support
If you have questions about reflections or how to structure your workflow, contact
hello@trademonkey.app