I used to think keeping a journal was pointless. The chart was right there. The PnL told the story. Or so I thought.
Months passed. Trades blurred together. Losses felt unfair. Wins felt like proof I was finally getting it. But when I tried to remember why I entered a position, what I was feeling, what I ignored, my mind went blank. I only remembered the outcome, never the process.
Without a journal, every bad trade felt like bad luck. Every good trade felt like skill. That lie is comforting. It’s also expensive.
I’d hesitate, enter late, then convince myself it was “planned.” I’d overtrade after a small win and swear I was calm. I wasn’t. I was greedy and didn’t want to admit it. When fear made me close early, I forgot that feeling the next time and repeated the same mistake. Again.
What I really missed wasn’t data. It was memory. Honest memory.
A journal doesn’t protect you from losses. It just removes the excuse of pretending you don’t know yourself. And that quiet awareness changes how loud the market feels.
