7 Things Every Trading Journal Should Include

Most traders know they should be journaling.

Few actually do it right.

A trading journal isn’t just a notebook for writing down wins and losses. It's your blueprint for improvement. It helps you spot patterns, eliminate guesswork, and trade with conviction. Whether you're backtesting or live trading, what you track becomes what you master.

But here’s the problem: Most trading journals are missing critical pieces.

If you’re only recording entry and exit, you’re leaving most of your edge on the table.

Here are 7 things your trading journal should always include if you’re serious about leveling up.

1. Date, Time, and Market Session

Every trade exists in context.
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Knowing when you took the trade is the first step to understanding it.

• Date: Helps you review market conditions and news events.
• Time: Pinpoints your decision-making window.
• Session (e.g., London, New York, Asia): Different sessions have different characteristics—volatility, liquidity, and behavior.

Why it matters:
A trade taken at the open of New York behaves differently than one taken during the Asian session lull. Journaling this builds precision.

2. Screenshot of the Setup

Words lie. Screenshots don’t.

Log every trade with a screenshot before and after the trade—mark your entries, exits, and reasoning.

Use tools like FX Replay to automatically capture charts for every trade you take.

Why it matters:
You can’t improve what you can’t visualize. A visual record exposes bad habits, hesitation, or misread price action at a glance.

3. Your Trading Plan for That Trade

What was your setup? What were your entry criteria?

Every trade should be backed by a predefined plan:

• What was the trigger?
• What was the bias?
• What were your confluences?

Why it matters:
If you can’t describe why you took a trade, it’s gambling—not trading. Tracking your plan builds discipline and filters out impulse decisions.

4. Risk Parameters and Position Size

Never skip this.

Include:

• Entry price
• Stop-loss
• Take-profit
• Position size
• Risk % per trade

Why it matters:
Consistency in execution starts with consistent risk management. This is how you protect capital and make rational decisions under pressure.

5. Emotional State and Mindset

Sounds soft. It’s not.

Journaling how you felt before, during, and after the trade is critical.

• Were you confident or second-guessing?
• Did you stick to your plan or chase?
• Were you trading out of boredom, FOMO, revenge?

Why it matters:
Most trading mistakes are psychological. Track emotions. Fix the mindset. The profits follow.

6. Post-Trade Review and Outcome

What happened, and what did you learn?

Every journal entry should include:

• Outcome (win/loss)
• Was the trade valid?
• Did you follow your plan?
• What would you do differently?

Why it matters:
A win on a bad trade is just luck. A loss on a good trade is still progress. Review sharpens your edge and cuts emotional bias from future decisions.

7. Performance Metrics Over Time

This is where traders become analysts.

Track stats like:

• Win rate
• Risk-to-reward ratio
• Average return per trade
• Most profitable time of day/session
• Trade frequency

Why it matters:
Your journal is a data mine. Dig into it. Find out what works—and cut what doesn’t. That’s how you refine strategy and build long-term consistency.

Bonus Tip: Use a Digital Trading Journal

Manual journaling is great. But it’s slow and often incomplete.

Tools like FX Replay combine:

• Manual journaling
• Automated journaling
• Realistic backtesting
• Instant stat tracking
• Screenshot capture

You spend less time writing, more time learning. And that’s the point.

Final Thoughts

A great trading journal is more than a diary. It’s your personal trading coach.

It shows you what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. If you’re not journaling these 7 things, you’re not trading with your full edge.

Start now. Do it right. Trade like it matters.

Want to accelerate your learning curve? Start journaling like a pro with FX Replay. Simulate trades, track performance, and get clarity on what really works—without risking real money.