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Trading Journal Template

A simple template for tracking trades, decisions, emotions, mistakes, risk, and lessons after each trading session.

Trading Journal lesson video

Lesson video coming soon — check back for a walkthrough of this resource.

What This Resource Helps With

A trading journal is one of the most powerful tools for improvement. It forces you to review each trade objectively and learn from both wins and losses:

  • Trade Tracking: Record each trade with entry, exit, and result.
  • Decision Tracking: Why did you enter? What was your logic?
  • Emotion Recording: What were you feeling during the trade? Fear? Greed? Overconfidence?
  • Mistake Logging: What went wrong? Where did you break your rules?
  • Pattern Recognition: Over time, you'll see repeated mistakes and learn to avoid them.

How to Use It

  1. 1. After each trade, fill out an entry in your journal. Don't skip this.
  2. 2. Record the facts: Entry price, exit price, stop level, position size, profit/loss, time held.
  3. 3. Answer the questions: Why did you enter? What was the setup? What was your plan?
  4. 4. Be honest about emotions: Were you scared? Overconfident? Did you chase? Did you cut winners short?
  5. 5. Write down lessons: What would you do differently next time?
  6. 6. Review weekly. Look back at your entries. What patterns do you see?

Key Takeaways

  • Your journal is your greatest teacher — if you're honest with it.
  • Losing trades teach you more than winning trades if you analyze them properly.
  • Patterns in your mistakes will emerge. When they do, you can fix them.
  • Review your journal regularly. The insights compound over time.

Educational Disclaimer: Skyvestments Trading Education provides educational content only. Nothing on this site constitutes financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading involves risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Always do your own research and understand the risks before trading.