Trade Journal Discussion

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In the School of Pipsology, we discussed the many benefits of keeping a trade journal and how important it is to one’s development as a trader. Now, it’s time to apply what you learned!

Here you can share your trading results and keep a record of your ideas to help you track your personal progress. Create your own thread or follow other traders as they embark on their journeys to become consistently profitable.

Don’t know what to write? You can consult the School of Pipsology’s lesson on What You Should Record in Your Journal for tips. But at the end of the day, remember that what you include in your trade journal is entirely up to you. If you think the kind of music that you listen to while trading affects your performance, then by all means write it down!

Just remember to stick to the forum rules and everything should be a-okay!

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I had very unique style when journaling Dr.Pipslow. as u said on ur blog (several post just explain bout important to make journal). And i always update ur post from the first post until now. Even make ur posts into ebook, ahaha (only for me, not for sale Dr.Pipslow)

From my age, that over 230 years now (still far than u…), i had this fact to share our buddies how importances to make journal :slight_smile:

Every profitable long term trader that i know always do journaling on their trade. So, why we are not??
Even if we had very small home business (like having small goods shop).
We still record what goods in and out.
What our customer type.
When our customer will quite or just the opposite.
How we arrange our shop to make more effective.
Why our shop not like older shop (our competitive) that had more customers.
Or we even write down our feelin when we running our small shop :slight_smile:

So, why FX business as very big business not we write down?? Coz we can do transaction too easily?? or we think this is only some random games that no need to write down our historical?? This is not the correct answer. Even we not judge FX business as a little thing, the fact is… we just make into our mindset that FX business just very small thing -____-

We must write down (do journaling) far beyond than small business (like my example above). We will take the fruit what our senior always said and repeat again and again without boring to say that thing…

Do Journaling on ur trade !! :slight_smile:

Very simple comment but had lot of fact behind our succeful on the future…

I made promise on u Dr.Pipslow, be ur first student that will be succeful on the future. Now i had very unique journaling style. Even i made “emotion board” on my room’s wall to look my emotion more detail, before, during and after trade. But for now, i cant post into this thread. I must proof first to my self for several months or even years :slight_smile:

I will make ur lesson be the most important thing of traders here :slight_smile:

Catch me on chatroom if u have spare time, and greet ours. I recently be there my best mentor :slight_smile:

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Hi Spidypips

I am just about to start a journal but I intended to only record what I traded how much invested and whether it was a profit or loss. Also what my entry and exit points where.

What advise do you have about journals??

Cheers

Black Duck

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thats great idea. however to let other people know why u traded that particular pair,add set up criteria and reason for entering the trade.

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Just saw the first post, on Dr.Pipslow lesson Black Duck. I follow his advice strictly to be honest :slight_smile:

But i will breakdown my journal into 3 categories:

  1. Journal that record our analysis
  2. Journal that record our performance
  3. Journal that record our psychological side
    Before, during, and after trade. With detail reason on that :slight_smile:
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Hi spidypips

Thanks for the advise.
Good trading

Cheers
Black Duck

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This is fascinating. I am learning a lot. Keep it up.

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Thank you for the thread.
I want to start my trading journal here.
Can I add links of my performance here?
Best regards

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Me too, I will now start trading,

Thanks.

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Thank you very muchs

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It is always a great idea to Journal your Trades. I like as much info as possible without going over the top!

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Good trading though I’m little too late here! Seems like the thread is not updated :frowning: I’d like to read more informatio from the experts here. Thanks!

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Pushed me to some conclusions: trading journal helps discipline yourself. So going to be my step up as a trader.

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Trading Journal Rocks! I got one pair EUR/USD Trade and it gives me insurance were to stop and win the amount and helps build our own perfect strategy with the correct pair

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I’ve been recording my trades since forever. I’ve stopped writing down the reason for entry and exit on my trades about 3 years ago simply because I always trade the same way and follow the same rules, so it became pointless keeping the records in that sense. I haven’t changed the way I trade for a long time so no need for the detailed explanations of my thinking process on each trade. I use to take a screen shot of every trade setup and write on the chart why I think it was a high probability trade. Anyone thinking that they should do this is on the right path to success. You need to see your thinking process on paper so you can refer back to it and see where you went wrong. Once you become consistent with your trading method ( this doesn’t mean that you do not have any losing trades) than you won’t need the pics of your trades recorded.
However you will need to keep your trade results for as long as you trade. This will give you the summary of your profits/losses. You can either keep the record of your pip wins and losses or you can add to it amount of money won/lost. I just keep pip amount win/ loss records. It gives me summary of my trade results at the end of each month. My strike rate is abut 50% winners. You probably think that you can’t get far with mediocre winning percentage like mine, but believe me I do better than most of traders I know and those I heard of. I haven’t had a losing month for 3 years. I had some close calls but came out on top in the end. Had I not kept my trading results journal I would’ve probably given up on my method thinking its not that good but having recorded my wins and losses I can see every month that I am actually in plus at the end of the month.
So my answer to anyone asking should they keep a journal is a definite YES.

By the way my worst month in 3 years was +70 pips at the end of the month and it happened last month (April 2016).

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Firesword, I really appreciate you taking the time to write this out!! I just started trading a live account in February and I have not been keeping a journal but will begin doing this tomorrow thanks to your encouragement!!

I am wondering if anyone would be willing to share their layout of their journal - do you use a spreadsheet in Excel or use images like the firesword mentions in his post?

Thanks again!!

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Hi robinpike,
here is a pic of the layout of my pip journal.
If it suits set it out in the same manner.
Ignore 429 pip loss. Thats what happens when you think you “know” where the price “must” go :34:
EP stands for “Equity protection” or stop loss.

pip amount journal.jpg700×354 47 KB

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Keeping a journal also makes traders think more thoroughly as to why they are taking this trade or why they are setting SL/TP values to those particular levels.

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the internal link doesnt exist longer dr i need a smple journals from youu really

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This is such an important topic, I really don’t understand what the last response was 465 days ago.

Si I am assuming everyone is thusly keeping an active trade journal, diary, log etc.
Then you will have no problem answering these few and simple questions:

  1. How many winners does your system generate in a row?
  2. After tossing out say 5% of the outliers what is the average number of pips for trade?
    Then do the same for the losers.

What can you use this information for?
Well is the probability that the next trade going to be a winner or losers.
Do you think it may be a value to know that probability?

Once you understand the probabilities of when you winners and losers could be could you adjust your lot sizing or leverage accordingly to increase the amount you have at risk? or decrease it at the appropriate time?

Other things you might want to look at is, what is your best time of the session to trade?
What are your best and worst pairs to trade?
How long are you keeping trades open for?

How many trades never reverse upon entry?
More food for thought how far does your average trade go against you before it reverses to a winner?
How many times does it reverse and not return?

If you do not most of this type of information, how can you analyze your trading to improve?

Sure you can add money to the account maintain the same leverage and the account size will continue to grow nicely but have you really improved.

If you can’t calculate the edge how do you know if you’re improving every month?
You can’t just say well there is more $$ in the account than when I started.

Its a business and so many of us new traders don’t get it.