A short process journal after each fill, wherever you trade
Most trading journals focus on outcomes: profit or loss. A process journal looks at something more controllable: how you made the decision. After each fill, you write down which order type you used, why you chose it, how the fill compared with the price you expected and whether you would make the same choice again. Done across all the exchanges you use, it reveals habits that no single platform shows you, such as using market orders when there was no hurry or leaving limit orders open for days. This guide explains how to keep a process journal in a few minutes per trade and how to review it. It recommends no trades.
What each entry contains
Record the date, the platform, the pair, the side and size, the order type and one sentence on why you chose it. Add the price you expected, the average fill price from your history and the fee shown. Finish with a single line: would I choose the same order type next time? Keep entries short; a journal that takes too long will be abandoned within a week.
Keep one journal for all venues
Use a single file or notebook for every exchange you trade on, with the platform noted in each entry. Behaviour tends to follow you from one interface to another, and a combined journal makes patterns easier to see. It also helps you compare how similar orders behave on different platforms for the pairs you actually trade.
Review once a month
At the end of each month, read through the entries. Look for patterns: market orders on thin pairs, limit orders that never filled, stops placed too close to the price, or trades made in a hurry with no written reason. Choose one habit to change next month and write it at the top of the next page. Keep going.
Keep it private and honest
The journal is for you, not for sharing. Do not include account identifiers, passwords or codes. Be honest about impulsive trades; they are the most useful entries to learn from. If reviewing the journal shows that trading causes stress or losses you cannot afford, reducing activity or stopping altogether is a sound decision. Short and regular wins.
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Scenario checkpoint
- Record platform, pair, size, order type and reason after each fill
- Note expected price, average fill and fee from your history
- Ask whether you would choose the same order type again
- Keep one combined journal for all exchanges you use
- Review monthly and pick one habit to change