LoggingTrades“The investor’s chief problem — and even his worst enemy — is likely to be himself.”
— Benjamin Graham, The Intelligent Investor · Share this quote
Before the open (2 minutes)
- Sleep: how many hours? Under six, trade smaller.
- Mood (1–5): anything outside trading weighing on you?
- Yesterday: are you trying to make anything back today? If yes, half size.
- Plan: key levels and the setups you are looking for, written down.
- Limits: daily loss limit and max trades, written down.
- Prop accounts: today’s drawdown floor and distance to it — see trailing drawdown explained.
- One rule to focus on today.
During the session
- After any loss: a short pause before the next entry.
- After hitting your loss limit or max trades: done, no exceptions.
“Don’t focus on making money; focus on protecting what you have.”
— Paul Tudor Jones, widely attributed · Share this quote
After the close (3 minutes)
- Rules followed / total rules.
- Best decision of the day (not best trade).
- Worst decision and what triggered it.
- One thing to keep, one to change tomorrow.
Make it stick
A checklist you fill in on paper and never look at again only does half the job. The value is in the pattern over weeks: your worst days probably share a mood score, a sleep number or a “trying to make it back” tick. Put the checklist in the same place as your trades so you can see the connection.
“Anything can happen.”
— Mark Douglas, Trading in the Zone · Share this quote
FAQ
What should be in a trading routine?
A pre-market plan with levels and setups, written limits, a quick mood and sleep check, and a short post-market review.
Does mood really affect trading results?
For many traders, yes — comparing a simple daily mood score with results in a journal often reveals the pattern.