Trading Journal

The Trading Journal is your daily companion for documenting market conditions, tracking your mental state, and reflecting on trading performance. Each day gets its own journal entry that combines rich text notes with automatic statistics from your trades.

Key Features

Rich Text Notes

Write detailed trading observations using the built-in editor with markdown support:

• Bold and italic formatting
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Links to external resources
• Live preview as you type

Notes auto-save after 2 seconds of inactivity, so you never lose your work.

Automatic Daily Statistics

Your journal entry displays real-time performance metrics calculated from trades logged that day:

Statistics update automatically when you add or modify trades. Color-coded displays show green for profits, red for losses, and neutral colors for breakeven performance.

Context Tracking

Categorize each trading day with three key context indicators:

Market Condition

• Bullish - Overall upward trend
• Bearish - Overall downward trend
• Sideways - Range-bound market
• Volatile - Unpredictable price swings

Market Volatility

• Low - Calm, predictable price action
• Moderate - Normal market movement
• High - Elevated price swings
• Extreme - Unusual market conditions

Trading Mood

• Confident - Feeling in control
• Cautious - Trading carefully
• Aggressive - Taking more risk
• Fearful - Hesitant or anxious

Click any option to select it. Click again to deselect. Each selection is color-coded with an icon for quick visual reference.

Creating a Journal Entry

Navigate to the Journal page from the sidebar. The page opens to today's date by default.

Writing Your Entry

1. Scroll to the Journal Entry section
2. Click in the text editor
3. Start typing your observations
4. The entry auto-saves after you stop typing

There's no save button to click. CandleLog detects changes and saves automatically.

Setting Context

Below the notes editor, you'll see three cards for context tracking:

1. Click a Market Condition that matches the day
2. Click a Volatility level
3. Click your Trading Mood

Each card shows your selection with a badge below the options.

Navigating Between Days

The date navigation controls appear at the top of the journal:

Navigation Buttons

Navigation Rules

• You cannot navigate to future dates
• The Today button only appears when viewing past dates
• Each day has a separate journal entry

Date Display

The current date shows in full format (e.g., "Monday, January 15, 2024") with badges indicating:

• Today - When viewing the current date
• Journal Entry Exists - When the selected date has saved content
• Saving... - When auto-save is in progress

Viewing Daily Performance

When you have trades logged for a date, the Daily Performance section appears above your journal entry:

Statistics Cards

Four cards display your performance:

1. Daily P&L - Net profit/loss with trend icon
2. Total Trades - Count with win/loss badges
3. Win Rate - Percentage with color based on performance
4. Wins - Count of profitable trades

Performance Colors

• Green text/icons: Profitable (P&L > 0, Win Rate >= 70%)
• Blue/neutral text: Breakeven or moderate (Win Rate 50-70%)
• Red text/icons: Losing (P&L < 0, Win Rate < 50%)

Trading Account Context

Journal entries are associated with your selected trading account. Make sure you have the correct account selected when creating entries.

If you switch accounts, you'll see that account's journal entry for the selected date.

Best Practices

Write While Fresh

Document your trading day as close to market close as possible:

• Your observations are most accurate when fresh
• You'll capture details you'd otherwise forget
• Build a consistent journaling habit

Be Honest

Your journal is private and for your benefit:

• Record how you actually felt, not how you wish you felt
• Note mistakes and what triggered them
• Document both wins and losses equally

Include Context

Go beyond just the numbers:

• What news or events affected the market?
• Did you follow your trading plan?
• What did you learn today?
• Would you take the same trades again?

Review Patterns

Use your journal to identify recurring themes:

• Which market conditions suit your trading style?
• How does your mood affect your decisions?
• Are there patterns in your winning vs losing days?
• What volatility level produces your best results?

Track Emotions

Pay attention to the mood selector over time:

• Notice if certain moods correlate with poor performance
• Identify what triggers fearful or aggressive states
• Recognize when you're trading at your best
• Use this data to know when to step back

Data Structure

Each journal entry stores:

• Date - The trading day
• Notes - Your written observations (markdown supported)
• Market Condition - Bullish, Bearish, Sideways, or Volatile
• Market Volatility - Low, Moderate, High, or Extreme
• Mood - Confident, Cautious, Aggressive, or Fearful
• Created/Updated timestamps - Track when entries were made

Statistics (P&L, wins, losses) are calculated in real-time from your trades rather than stored in the journal entry itself.

Tips for Effective Journaling

Morning Preparation

Before market open, consider noting:

• Your trading plan for the day
• Key levels you're watching
• Economic events scheduled
• Your current mental state

End of Day Review

After market close, document:

• How the day matched your expectations
• Trades you took and why
• Trades you missed and why
• Lessons for tomorrow

Weekly Reflection

At week's end, review your entries:

• Patterns in market conditions
• Correlation between mood and performance
• Progress toward trading goals
• Areas for improvement