The Anatomy of a Good Trade: Focus on Decisions, Not ResultsLet's find out - what is a good trade?
Most beginners answer: a trade that makes money.
But in professional trading, a good trade has nothing to do with the outcome.
It has everything to do with the quality of the decision.
1️⃣ A good trade starts with an A-Setup:
An A-Setup is not a feeling — it’s a repeatable pattern with structure and logic.
✔ Clear market context
✔ Direction aligned with market structure
✔ Liquidity levels identified
✔ Entry trigger confirmed
✔ Risk defined before the trade
If one of these is missing, it’s no longer an A-Setup — it’s hope.
2️⃣ A good trade has positive expectancy:
Winning one trade means nothing. Winning a sample size of 100 tells you everything.
A positive expectancy means your setup:
loses small - wins bigger - and performs consistently over time
You don’t need to win every trade — you need a system where the average outcome is in your favor.
3️⃣ A good trade follows process, not emotion:
A professional doesn’t judge a trade by profit or loss. They judge it by one question:
“Did I execute my plan without breaking the rules?”
If yes → it was a good trade. Even if it ended in a loss.
Because long-term success comes from repeatable behavior, not from chasing single outcomes.
The Truth:
➡️ A good trade is not defined by green or red.
➡️ A good trade is defined by discipline, structure, and execution.
If beginners understood this idea, half of their frustration would disappear.
Thanks for reading, and have a great start to your trading week!
Let us know in the comments if you found this post valuable - and we might create a full series on applied trading psychology.
Jonas Lumpp
Speechless Trading
Disclaimer: This tutorial is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Its goal is to help traders develop a professional mindset, improve risk management, and make more structured trading decisions.
