Trading journal: what to record before and after a trade
A useful journal lets you reconstruct a decision without relying on memory. A screenshot with a green profit figure cannot tell you why you entered, what you expected or whether you followed the plan.
Two records for every decision
Before entry, record the instrument, timestamp, intended holding period, reason, known events and planned exit conditions. Save the chart as it appeared then. Keep the original note even if your view changes later.
After execution, add the quantity, actual prices, fees, currency treatment and final result. Reconcile the entry with the broker’s statement. An order you intended to send and an order that actually filled are different events.
Separate outcome from process
A profitable trade can include an incorrect quantity or an unplanned earnings exposure. A losing trade can follow the written plan accurately. Review these errors separately; otherwise a favourable price move can hide a recurring operational mistake.
Bring the original note and final result to a 1:1 educational review so each decision can be reconstructed. Replace a label such as “bad discipline” with an observable action, for example “moved the exit after the price fell.”
Use one weekly question: which error appeared more than once? Choose a specific correction and record whether you applied it in the next set of decisions. Changing six rules together makes the source of improvement hard to identify.
Include occasions when you considered a trade and declined it. They help reveal whether the selection process remained stable, rather than becoming looser after a loss or more aggressive after a win.