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Beginner 5 min read

Keeping a trade journal

What gets measured gets better. Record every trade and review weekly.

A trade journal row (copy this into a spreadsheet)DateCoinSideSetupEntryStopExitRWhy / mistake10-21BTCLongSweep84,12083,86084,780+2.5Followed plan10-21SOLShortChase108.9109.6109.6−1.0Entered late, no zoneReview weekly: which setup earns, which mistake repeats, what hour you trade worst.
Illustration for education. Prices are schematic, not real market data.

What it is

A journal turns experience into data. For each trade record the date, instrument, direction, setup, entry, stop, exit, result in R, and a sentence on why you took it and what you would change. A screenshot of the chart helps.

Weekly, sort by setup, by time of day and by mistake. Cut what loses, repeat what wins.

How to use it

  1. Record before and after each trade.
  2. Tag setups consistently.
  3. Review weekly.
  4. Change one thing at a time.
If it is not written, it did not happen.

Common mistakes

  • Recording only winners.
  • Skipping the “mistake” column.
  • Never reading it.

Practise it in TradeDesk X

Micro exports your closed paper trades to CSV, and TradeDesk X Portfolio keeps history and management steps for every trade.

Open TradeDesk X Open Micro

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Trading psychology: FOMO, revenge and discipline

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Educational content only. Nothing here is financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Trading leveraged products can lose more than you deposit. Practise with paper trading first and never risk money you cannot afford to lose.