Most journals die in week two. Build one that supports decisions instead of collecting screenshots.
Minimum viable fields
Date, symbol, direction, size, thesis in one sentence, invalidation, result, and whether you followed the plan. Optional screenshots help; they are not the journal.
Tag process, not just P&L
Tags like “news chase,” “size creep,” or “plan followed” teach faster than sorting by winners. A profitable rule-break is still a process failure.
Review cadence
A weekly thirty-minute review beats a monthly guilt spiral. Ask what to stop, start, and continue. Change one variable at a time.
Keep it boring
If the template takes longer to fill than the trade took to manage, you will quit. Optimise for completion rate.