Trading Journal Examples: 4 Filled-In Sample Entries
A good trading journal entry records the plan, the result, whether you followed your rules, and what you will do differently. The four examples below show what that looks like for a win, a loss that followed the plan, a loss that broke the rules, and a trade you missed.
All tickers, prices, and results here are fictional and made up for illustration. They are not trade recommendations, and this is education, not financial advice.
What to write in a trading journal
Before the examples, here is the structure each one follows. If you are starting from scratch, how to keep a trading journal explains the habit, and the trading journal template gives the full field list.
Every entry has four parts:
- The plan: setup, entry, stop, target, and risk, written before the trade.
- The result: exit price, net profit or loss, and the result in R (your result divided by the amount you planned to risk).
- The process check: did you follow your plan, yes or no, and where did you deviate?
- The lesson: one thing to repeat and one thing to change.
Outcome and process are scored separately: you can have good process and lose, or bad process and win.
Example 1: A winning trade that followed the plan
Note: fictional example.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday, 09:41 |
| Ticker | ACME (example) |
| Direction | Long |
| Setup | Opening range breakout |
| Entry | $25.00 |
| Size | 200 shares |
| Stop | $24.50 |
| Target | $26.50 |
| Planned risk | $100 (200 x $0.50) |
| Exit | $26.40 |
| Fees | $4 |
| Net result | +$276 |
| Result in R | +2.76R |
| Plan followed? | Yes |
Why I took it: ACME held above the first 15-minute high on rising volume, and the broader market was steady. This matches my breakout setup exactly.
What happened: Price pushed to $26.40 within about 40 minutes. I had planned to sell at $26.50 but sold at $26.40 when momentum stalled and I saw a long upper wick forming.
Math check: Gross profit is 200 x ($26.40 - $25.00) = $280. Minus $4 fees gives $276. Divided by the $100 planned risk, that is 2.76R.
Lesson: Repeat: I waited for the confirmed break instead of buying early. Change: decide in advance whether stalling price is a valid exit signal, so I am not improvising.
Grade: A.
Example 2: A losing trade that followed the plan
Note: fictional example.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, 10:20 |
| Ticker | ZETA (example) |
| Direction | Short |
| Setup | Failed breakout fade |
| Entry | $40.00 |
| Size | 150 shares |
| Stop | $40.80 |
| Target | $38.00 |
| Planned risk | $120 (150 x $0.80) |
| Exit | $40.80 (stopped out) |
| Fees | $3 |
| Net result | -$123 |
| Result in R | -1.03R |
| Plan followed? | Yes |
Why I took it: ZETA pushed above yesterday's high, then closed back below it on heavy volume. A failed breakout is one of my defined setups.
What happened: Price dipped about $0.30, then reversed and ran through my stop. I did not move it.
Math check: Loss before fees is 150 x $0.80 = $120. Add $3 fees for $123. Divided by the $120 planned risk, that is -1.03R, slightly more than one R because fees are included.
Lesson: Nothing to fix. The setup was valid, the stop was where I said it would be, and the loss was the size I planned. This is the cost of doing business. Keep it in the sample and move on.
Grade: A. A loss that follows the plan is a good trade.
Example 3: A losing trade that broke the rules
Note: fictional example.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, 11:05 |
| Ticker | NOVA (example) |
| Direction | Long |
| Setup | Pullback to support |
| Entry | $60.00 |
| Size | 100 shares |
| Stop (planned) | $59.00 |
| Target | $63.00 |
| Planned risk | $100 (100 x $1.00) |
| Stop (actual) | Moved to $57.50 |
| Exit | $57.80 |
| Fees | $2 |
| Net result | -$222 |
| Result in R | -2.22R |
| Plan followed? | No |
Why I took it: NOVA pulled back to a level that had held twice.
What happened: Price hit $59.00 and I felt sure it would bounce, so I dragged my stop down to $57.50. It kept falling. I finally sold at $57.80 when I felt sick watching it.
Math check: Loss before fees is 100 x ($60.00 - $57.80) = $220. Add $2 fees for $222. Divided by $100 planned risk, that is -2.22R.
Emotion: Hopeful, then stubborn, then panicked. I had also taken a loss on Tuesday and wanted it back.
Cost of the mistake: If I had honored the $59.00 stop, the loss would have been about 1R, roughly $102 with fees. Moving the stop turned a normal loss into one more than twice the planned size.
Lesson: The setup was fine. The execution was not. Rule for next week: once a stop is set, it can only move in the direction of profit. If I feel the urge to widen it, I close the trade or walk away from the screen. I will also tag this trade "moved stop" and count how often it happens. For more on trading to recover a loss, see how to stop revenge trading.
Grade: D.
Example 4: A missed trade
Note: fictional example. Missed trades belong in your journal because hesitation is a pattern you can only fix if you can see it.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, 09:55 |
| Ticker | KITE (example) |
| Direction | Long (not taken) |
| Setup | Opening range breakout |
| Trigger price | $32.00 |
| Planned stop | $31.40 |
| Planned target | $33.80 |
| Planned risk per share | $0.60 |
| Planned reward per share | $1.80 |
| Planned reward-to-risk | 3 to 1 |
| Taken? | No |
| What price did | Reached $33.80 by 11:10 |
| Hypothetical result (100 shares) | +$180, about +3R |
Why I did not take it: The setup triggered exactly as planned. I hesitated after the previous day's loss and waited for a "better entry." There was none.
Math check: Reward is $33.80 - $32.00 = $1.80 per share, risk is $32.00 - $31.40 = $0.60 per share, so the ratio is $1.80 / $0.60 = 3. At 100 shares that is $180 of reward against $60 of risk.
Important: This result is hypothetical and stays out of my real performance numbers. I use it only to measure how often hesitation costs me valid setups.
Lesson: Fear of the last loss made me skip a valid setup. Fix: if the setup meets every checklist item, I take it at my normal size, because I cannot tell in advance which trade will work. If I truly cannot trade calmly, I should reduce size, not skip.
Grade: C. The analysis was right, the execution was not.
What these four entries show together
Look at the week as a whole. Adding the three real trades:
- Example 1: +$276
- Example 2: -$123
- Example 3: -$222
- Net: $276 - $123 - $222 = -$69
In R: +2.76 - 1.03 - 2.22 = -0.49R.
On the surface it is a slightly losing week. But the two trades that followed the plan netted +$153 ($276 - $123), while the one rule break cost $222. The journal shows the problem is not the strategy, it is one specific behavior. That is something you can fix. A pattern like this is what a weekly review is for; see how to review your trades.
One fictional week proves nothing. Real conclusions need a larger sample.
Tips for writing your own entries
- Be specific. "Got nervous" is weaker than "felt my chest tighten when price touched the stop."
- Use tags. Labels like "moved stop", "chased", and "hesitated" let you filter and count later.
- Include screenshots. A chart at entry and exit is worth a paragraph.
In Momentra you can write these notes in the rich editor, tag them, and see your analytics next to them. The free plan includes the full journal. For instrument-specific journaling, see the options trading journal and futures trading journal guides.
FAQ
What should I write in a trading journal?
Write your plan before the trade, the result after it, whether you followed your rules, and one lesson. Add how you felt at entry and exit, since emotions often explain the mistakes numbers cannot.
Can you show me a trading journal entry example?
Yes. The four examples above cover a winner, a plan-following loser, a rule-breaking loser, and a missed trade. Each lists the setup, entry, stop, target, result in R, emotion, and lesson, using fictional numbers.
How long should a trading journal entry be?
Five to eight sentences plus the numeric fields is enough. The goal is to capture the reason and the lesson quickly, so you keep doing it every day.
Should I journal trades I did not take?
Yes. Missed or skipped trades show patterns like hesitation after a loss. Just keep them separate from your real results, since they are hypothetical.
What if I do not know what lesson to write?
Ask: Did I follow my plan? What was I feeling? What would I repeat or change? If the honest answer is "nothing," write that.
Write the entry you would want to read later
The best journal entries are honest, specific, and short. They separate good process from good luck, and they make your repeat mistakes impossible to ignore. Use these examples as a pattern, swap in your own setups and rules, and let the record build. This article is general education and not financial advice.
Ready to start? Try Momentra free and write your first entry today.
