A trading journal that records decisions instead of excuses
A useful trading journal captures what you believed before the outcome was known. If every explanation is written after the price move, a journal can become a collection of persuasive stories rather than a record of decisions.
Keep the entry short and specific
For each simulated trade, record the instrument, time, entry rule, invalidation condition, intended position size and expected costs. Save the original note without editing it after the result. A screenshot can support the record, but it cannot replace the reasoning.
Add the outcome separately
After the exercise ends, enter the actual simulated fill, exit, costs and whether the original rule was followed. Distinguish a process mistake from an unfavorable outcome. A well-described decision can lose, and a poorly described decision can win by chance.
Review one question at a time
At the end of a practice week, ask whether entries followed the written criteria. In the next review, examine missed costs or inconsistent timestamps. Changing every rule after one disappointing result makes it difficult to learn anything. The journal’s job is to make your behavior observable; it cannot prove that a strategy will make money in live markets.
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