Updated: 2026-02-14
Most traders know they should journal. Few do it longer than two weeks. The problem isn't discipline — it's the template. Track too little and there's nothing to review. Track too much and logging becomes work you avoid. This template gives you the minimal schema that produces weekly corrections you'll actually execute.
12
Core fields
per trade
3
Tag types
setup · state · exit
15 min
Weekly review
target cadence
A trade log captures what happened. A journal captures what you can change next week. The difference matters because most traders already know their results — they just can't see the pattern behind the results.
Without a template, journaling degrades into one of two failure modes. Too little structure and everything becomes a diary. You write "felt good about this trade" and learn nothing reviewable. Too much structure and the fields multiply until logging takes longer than the trade itself. You stop after week two.
The right template is minimal, consistent, and reviewable. It preserves three things: your intent (why you took the trade), your context (what the market looked like), and your process (what rules you followed or broke). Everything else is noise.
Start with fields you can sort and compare. If a field doesn't help you answer "what prints expectancy?" or "what drains it?" — cut it.
The review is where the journal earns its keep. Without it, you're archiving trades into a spreadsheet graveyard.
Run this loop once per week, ideally at the same time:
Sort by state tag. Find your most expensive emotional condition this week. Was it tilt? FOMO? Fatigue? This is your highest-priority leak.
Sort by setup type. Find the setup that printed the most consistent edge. This is what you should be doing more of.
Pick one constraint. Not a promise ("I'll be more disciplined") — a constraint ("after any rule drift, 20-minute cooldown before the next trade").
The output of a good review is three lines: keep one edge, cut one leak, commit one change for next week.
Skip the template. Automate the journal.
Tiltless syncs your trades automatically, tags behavior patterns, and runs the weekly review loop for you.
See plansPick the tool that matches your volume and review habit. The template schema stays the same — only the container changes.
Cloud-native with formulas, sharing, and version history. One-click copy to your Google Drive.
Offline-first with pivot tables, VBA macros, and desktop performance. Download the .xlsx file.
Database views for filtering by setup, state, and venue. One-click duplicate into your workspace.
Best for active traders. Auto-syncs trades from your exchange, tags patterns, and generates review reports.
Start with the core fields and do not add anything for the first two weeks. The goal isn't a comprehensive database — it's a sustainable habit that survives your worst trading day.
Week 1: Log every trade with the 12 core fields. Don't skip any, even the embarrassing ones. Especially the embarrassing ones.
Week 2: Run your first weekly review. Sort by state tag, find your biggest leak, pick one constraint.
Week 3+: Add one field if (and only if) it answers a question your review surfaced. If your review didn't surface a question, your schema is already good enough.
The moment logging feels like a burden, you have too many fields. Cut back to core and rebuild trust with the habit.
The best format is whatever you'll actually use weekly. Spreadsheets work for low-volume traders who like control. Dedicated apps work when trade volume makes manual logging unsustainable. The format matters less than the review cadence.
Start with 8-12 core fields: venue, instrument, direction, size, entry, exit, stop behavior, setup tag, and state tag. You can always add fields later — but you can't sustain 30 fields for more than two weeks.
Yes, if you want the data to be useful. Selective journaling introduces survivorship bias — you'll tend to skip the trades that hurt most, which are exactly the ones that reveal your leaks.
15-20 minutes. Sort by state tag to find your most expensive emotional condition. Sort by setup to find your best edge. Pick one leak to cut with a specific constraint. Done.
Yes. The core schema (entry, exit, size, stop, tags) is instrument-agnostic. For perps and futures, add leverage and funding fields. For stocks, add sector and catalyst tags.
Connect your exchange, sync your trades, and let Tiltless surface the patterns you'd never find in a spreadsheet.
Jump across the library without guessing URLs.
Deep dives on journaling, psychology, and process.
Exchange and strategy journal workflows.
Local landing pages for traders evaluating journal software.
Psychology, risk, and execution education.
Behavioral leaks with stop rules and fixes.
Venue workflows, connection models, and gotchas.
Migration guides and platform tradeoffs.
Tiltless vs competitors and exchange matchups.
