The trade log: where opinions go to die
You will learn more from 100 honestly-logged trades than from any book, course, or YouTube channel. The log is what turns “I think this works” into a number — and it’s the only way to tell a bad strategy from bad execution, because they need opposite fixes.
Ten columns, one line each
If logging takes more than a minute per trade you’ll stop doing it, so every column is short on purpose.
Trade date. Later you’ll split results by day of week — patterns show up.
The symbol. You’ll usually discover one or two names carry most of your edge.
The name of the written rule this trade followed: “Hammer @ PDL”, “Engulf @ VWAP”. If it doesn’t have a name, it wasn’t a setup — log it as “impulse” and watch that row bleed.
Entry time. Results split by hour are one of the fastest lessons in the whole log — most beginners lose their money between 11:00 and 2:00.
Three prices. Entry and stop define your risk unit (1R) before the trade; exit determines the result. Write the stop down when you place it — not after.
The outcome in risk units: (exit − entry) ÷ (entry − stop) for longs. +2.0R, −1.0R, −0.5R. Dollars lie across position sizes; R doesn’t.
A chart capture at entry. Reviewing screenshots weekly is how patterns you actually trade (not the ones you think you trade) become visible.
Yes or no — did you follow your written rules on this trade? This column separates “bad strategy” (rules followed, still losing → fix the strategy) from “bad execution” (rules broken → fix yourself). Nothing else in the log can tell you which problem you have.
The starter log
Type a few trades — real or from bar replay — and watch R and expectancy compute as you go. Nothing is uploaded; this runs entirely in your browser and clears on refresh. When you’re ready for the real thing, download the CSV template below.
| Date | Ticker | Setup | L/S | Entry | Stop | Exit | Rules? | R |
|---|
The CSV opens in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. It includes the TIME and SCREENSHOT columns the starter grid leaves out, plus a NOTES column.
How to read your numbers
Expectancy must be positive
It’s your average R per trade. Negative expectancy over 100 logged trades isn’t bad luck — it’s an answer. Go back a stage and change something written, not something felt.
Win rate needs its partners
40% winners at +2R each beats 70% winners with occasional −5R disasters. Always read win rate next to average win and average loss.
Know your worst streak
Count the longest losing streak in your log. That’s the drawdown you must sit through without abandoning the plan — if you can’t stomach it at 1% risk, you can’t stomach it at 2%.
Find what’s carrying you
Sort the log by setup, then by time of day. Almost every profitable beginner log has one setup and one window doing all the work. Cut the rest and size the winner — after the data says so, not before.
Rules of the log
- Log the trade the day you take it. Memory is a marketer; the log is an auditor.
- Log losers with extra care. They’re where all the information is.
- Never edit a row after the fact. A curated log is a mirror that lies.
- Review weekly, not daily. Daily review breeds tinkering; weekly review shows patterns.
- 100 replay → 50 paper → 30 one-share real. Advance only on positive expectancy; retreat a stage when it goes negative. Forward is earned.
The log is Part 07 of the tutorial
If you landed here first: the tutorial explains the setups, the R math, and the staged testing method this log is built to measure.
Start the free tutorial →