LESSON 11 ~9 MIN · AT YOUR OWN PACE
Plan, emotion and Journal
The plan before a trade and the review after it.
STEP 3 OF 4
What goes in a Journal?
Write the date, symbol, Timeframe, reason, Entry, planned Stop, quantity, actual exit, costs and one lesson. You can also keep a screenshot alongside your reasoning.
AN EXAMPLE
Do not write only “Made a profit”. Also write “Did I follow the plan? Why was the fill different? How much did it cost?”
RememberYou can lose even with a good process. You can win by luck even with a bad one.
Sources and further reading
Sources in English · Content reviewed on 28 September 2026. We made the examples for learning; they are not broker recommendations.
CME Group · Practice and trade plan (opens in a new tab)CFTC · Forex and risk (opens in a new tab)