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How to Log Rule Violations

Overview

Track when you break trading rules to identify patterns and improve discipline.

Steps

1. Go to Discipline Diary

Navigate to Discipline Diary page

Screenshot: Discipline Diary

2. Log a Violation

Option A: From specific trade

  1. Open trade that broke rule
  2. Click "Log Violation"
  3. Select rule broken

Option B: Manual entry

  1. Click "+ Log Violation"
  2. Select date and trade (if applicable)
  3. Choose rule violated

Screenshot: Log violation button

3. Select Violated Rule

  1. Choose from your discipline rules
  2. Can select multiple if applicable
  3. Mark severity (minor, moderate, major)

Screenshot: Select rule

4. Document Details

What Happened:

  • Describe the violation
  • What led to it
  • How you felt

Why It Happened:

  • Emotional state
  • External factors
  • Lack of focus
  • Other reasons

Impact:

  • Financial impact (if any)
  • Emotional impact
  • Lesson learned

Screenshot: Violation details

5. Add Action Plan

Prevent Future Violations:

  • What will you do differently?
  • New safeguards to add
  • Reminders needed
  • Support required

6. Save Violation Log

Click "Save" to record violation

Screenshot: Saved violation

Success!

Violation is logged and tracked.

Violation Severity Levels

Minor Violation

🟢 Small breach, minimal impact
🟢 First-time occurrence
🟢 Easy to correct
Example: Slightly exceeded position size by 5%

Moderate Violation

🟡 Clear rule break
🟡 Noticeable impact
🟡 Requires attention
Example: Didn't set stop loss

Major Violation

🔴 Critical rule broken
🔴 Significant impact
🔴 Immediate action needed
Example: Revenge trading after stop loss

Screenshot: Severity levels

Violation Categories

Most Common Violations

📊 Risk Management

  • Oversized position
  • No stop loss
  • Exceeded daily loss limit

📊 Entry Discipline

  • FOMO entry
  • No setup confirmation
  • Trading outside plan

📊 Exit Discipline

  • Moved stop loss
  • Didn't take profit at target
  • Held losing position too long

📊 Emotional

  • Revenge trading
  • Overtrading after wins
  • Trading while stressed

Screenshot: Violation categories

Violation Tracking

What Gets Tracked

  • Date and time
  • Rule violated
  • Trade involved (if any)
  • Severity level
  • Outcome/impact
  • Corrective action
  • Follow-up status

Pattern Recognition

System helps spot:

  • Most frequently violated rules
  • Time patterns (day, time of day)
  • Market condition correlations
  • Emotional triggers
  • Consecutive violations

Screenshot: Violation patterns

Consequence Implementation

Follow Through

If rule has consequences:

  • System reminds you
  • Mark as completed
  • Track enforcement
  • Build accountability

Example Consequences:

  • ✅ Took 1-day trading break
  • ✅ Reduced position size next 3 trades
  • ✅ Reviewed journal entry
  • ✅ Discussed with mentor

Violation Dashboard

Overview Display

  • Total violations this week/month
  • Most violated rules
  • Severity breakdown
  • Improvement trend
  • Discipline score impact

Screenshot: Violation dashboard

Red Flag Alerts

Warning System

Get alerts for:

  • Same rule violated 3+ times
  • Multiple violations same day
  • Critical rule violations
  • Declining discipline score
  • Pattern of emotional trading

Review and Reflect

Weekly Violation Review

  1. Review all violations
  2. Identify common themes
  3. Update rules if needed
  4. Set improvement goals
  5. Plan preventive measures

Screenshot: Weekly review

Quick Tips

  • Log violations immediately
  • Be honest with yourself
  • Focus on learning, not guilt
  • Look for patterns
  • Update rules based on violations
  • Share with mentor if available

Accountability Partner

Share Violations

If using mentee access:

  • Mentor sees violations
  • Get guidance
  • External accountability
  • Faster improvement

Gamification

Streak Tracking

  • Violation-free days
  • Longest streak
  • Current streak
  • Motivational milestones

Screenshot: Streak tracker

Violation vs Learning

Reframe Perspective

❌ Not: "I'm a bad trader"
✅ Instead: "I'm learning and improving"

Every violation is:

  • A learning opportunity
  • Data for improvement
  • Chance to reinforce discipline
  • Progress indicator

Export Violations

Generate Report

  1. Select date range
  2. Click "Export Violations"
  3. Choose format (PDF, Excel)
  4. Review with mentor or self

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Forgot to log? Add retrospectively with date
Can't find trade? Log as standalone violation
Too many violations? Focus on top 3 rules first
Feeling discouraged? Review improvement trend
Need help? Contact support@tradelyser.com