Set Ballast isn't a vibe. It's the gate every trade walks through — written before the position, not after the loss.
The thesis. Why this trade, in one line. PremDump, fade-premium, structure reclaim — name the setup, not a feeling.
The exact condition that fires the entry. Not "when it looks ready" — the candle, the level, the reclaim that flips the idea into an order.
What proves the thesis wrong. The stop exists before entry — if you can't name it, you don't have a trade, you have a wish.
% of book, set in advance. Not "how much I can win," but "how much I'm willing to lose if I'm wrong." Ballast before sail.
What ends the trade even if the stop hasn't hit — time, regime flip, or event. The condition under which staying in stops being a trade and starts being hope.
People who bought the top once already know why this matters.