A short risk log that traders actually keep
Four lines after each session beat a blank journal: structure sketch, invalidation sentence, size, and whether the stop moved.
Long trading journals die after a week. The format we recommend after workshops fits on one index card or a phone note.
Four lines
- Structure sketch — a few words or a quick doodle of the swings that defined the idea.
- Invalidation sentence — the exact condition that ended (or would end) the trade.
- Size — shares or lots and the cash risk they implied.
- Stop moved? — yes/no, and why. “Felt weak” is not an acceptable why; “new swing formed inside my original structure” can be.
Why it works
The log forces a confrontation with mid-trade stop moves — the habit most participants admit in the first hour of training. Over a fortnight of evening practice, patterns appear: always moving stops on FX, never on equities; always widening after news; never rewriting the invalidation sentence when structure changes.
Bring an old log to a one-to-one chart review and the session becomes concrete within minutes.