Document Your Success

Trading JournalThe Key to Success

Professional traders keep a journal. Learn how to document your trades and continuously improve.

Learning
+50%
Errors Reduced
-30%
Discipline
+100%

Why Keep a Trading Journal?

A trading journal is more than just a list of your trades. Its your personal coach that helps you recognize patterns, avoid mistakes, and refine your strategy. The most successful traders document every single trade.

Recognize Patterns

Discover which setups work for you and which dont.

Avoid Mistakes

Learn from past mistakes and dont repeat them.

Track Performance

Keep track of your profit and loss statistics.

Manage Emotions

Recognize emotional patterns and stay objective.

What You Should Document

A complete journal captures all relevant information for every trade.

1Trade Details

Date & Time
When was the trade opened?
Symbol
Which underlying?
Strategy
Covered Call, Iron Condor, etc.
Strike(s) & Expiration
All relevant option data
Position Size
Number of contracts
Entry Price
Premium received/paid

2Analysis

Market Conditions
Trend, volatility, news
Trade Rationale
Why this trade?
IV Level
Implied volatility at entry
Technical Analysis
Support, resistance, indicators

3Risk Management

Max Profit
Maximum theoretical profit
Max Loss
Maximum theoretical loss
Stop-Loss Level
At what loss to close?
Profit Target
At what profit to close?
Risk/Trade
% of portfolio at risk

4Result

Exit Price
Final price at close
Profit/Loss
In euro and percent
Holding Period
How long was position open?
What Went Well?
Positive aspects
What Can Improve?
Learning points

Example: Journal Entry

Date
10. Dezember 2025, 15:32
Symbol
AAPL (Apple Inc.)
Strategy
Iron Condor
Expiration
17. Jan 2026 (38 DTE)
Contracts
2 Spreads
Trade Details
Buy $175 Put
Sell $180 Put
Sell $195 Call
Buy $200 Call
Trade Rationale

AAPL has been moving sideways for 2 weeks. IV Rank at 45% - elevated but not extreme. No earnings in the next 6 weeks. Support at $178, resistance at $197.

Risk Parameters
  • Credit received: $2.40 ($480)
  • Max Loss: $520
  • Profit target: 50% ($240)
  • Stop-Loss: 100% (at $480 loss)
Status
Open
Current P/L
+$156 (32.5%)

Tools for Your Trading Journal

From simple spreadsheets to specialized platforms - choose the tool that fits you.

Excel / Google Sheets

Spreadsheet
Pros
  • Free
  • Fully customizable
  • Available offline
  • Custom formulas possible
Cons
  • Manual entry
  • No automatic sync

Notion

Database & Notes
Pros
  • Flexible databases
  • Templates available
  • Cloud-based
  • Good mobile app
Cons
  • Learning curve
  • Can get cluttered

Tradervue

Specialized Tool
Pros
  • Automatic import
  • Detailed statistics
  • Community
  • Professional analysis
Cons
  • Paid
  • Focus on stocks

TradesViz

Specialized Tool
Pros
  • Free version
  • Good visualizations
  • Options support
  • Broker import
Cons
  • Limited free features
  • English only

Best Practices for Your Journal

1

Document Immediately

Enter every trade immediately after execution. Dont wait until evening - details get forgotten.

2

Be Honest

Write down the uncomfortable truths too. Only then can you truly learn.

3

Weekly Review

Take 30 minutes every Sunday to analyze your trades from the week.

4

Take Screenshots

A picture is worth a thousand words. Save charts at entry and exit.

5

Note Emotions

How did you feel during the trade? Fear, greed, confidence? Emotions influence decisions.

6

Keep Statistics

Track win rate, average profit/loss and other metrics over time.

Important Metrics to Track

Win Rate

Percentage of profitable trades. Goal: over 50%

Profit Factor

Total profit / Total loss. Goal: over 1.5

Avg R:R

Average Risk/Reward ratio

Max DD

Maximum Drawdown. How much lost from peak?

Avg Loss

Average loss per losing trade

Avg Win

Average profit per winning trade

Start Your Journal Today

The best time to start a trading journal was yesterday. The second best is today.

Start Paper TradingCommon MistakesLearn Strategies