Trading journal template: what to record

A trading journal does not need to be long. It needs to be consistent. This template covers the minimum worth recording, and the labels that turn a pile of trades into answers.

Per trade

Most of these come from your broker file, so you only type the ones in bold.

• Date, time, symbol, side, quantity, entry and exit price: imported.
• Profit and loss after fees: calculated.
• Setup: the strategy you were trading, picked from a fixed list.
• Planned exit and maximum loss: written at entry.
• Mistakes: only if there were any.
• Rating, 1 to 5: how well you followed your own rules, regardless of profit.
• Notes and a screenshot: what you saw, in a sentence or two.

Per day

• Before the open: the plan. Key levels, which setups you will trade, and your maximum loss for the day.
• After the close: what went well, what to fix, and how you felt.
• Two quick scores: mood and discipline, 1 to 5.

OptiqJournal's Journal tab has exactly these fields, and its Coach tab can write a suggested plan for the next trading day into the plan box.

Labels that make your stats useful

Using the same words every time is what makes breakdowns work. Good starting lists:

Setups: opening range breakout high and low, VWAP reclaim and rejection, 8 EMA / VWAP crossover, 8 / 21 EMA crossover, breakout, support bounce, bull flag, range fade, earnings play. For options: 0DTE scalp, debit and credit spreads, iron condor, covered call and cash-secured put.

Mistakes: FOMO, revenge trade, chased entry, entered too early or late, exited early, held too long, moved stop, oversized, overtrading, ignored setup rules.

Tags: A+ / B / C setup, scalp, day trade or swing, session (open, mid-day, power hour), market context (trend day, range day, news, earnings) and mindset (disciplined, anxious, overconfident).

These come pre-loaded in OptiqJournal, so you pick them with a click instead of typing.

How to use it

1. Import your trades each evening.
2. Tag at least your three largest wins and losses.
3. Read the dashboard's "By setup", "By tag" and "Cost of mistakes" tables once a week.
4. Change one thing at a time, and check the numbers again after a few weeks.

When you are ready, create a free account and import your first file. For export instructions see the thinkorswim and Fidelity guides.

A journal records and measures your trading. It is not investment advice.