I trade intraday futures by reading the tape and looking at historically significant price action levels. I start to really get a feel for the process, but I still trade only one future until the process is internalized. To be able to assess myself I keep a detailed journal where I fill in trade information (entry, exit etc.) and trading information (what did I do well and why; what could I do better and how).

My problem is the journaling itself: When I journal “live” I lose focus on the price action and feel that I miss important information; when I journal after market hours it is really easy to forget the actual feelings as they were and instead start writing what I should have done post factum.

How would you approach this? Without the journals I’m lost. But I do feel that the market deserves full attention.

P.S: Thank you for all the media – Books, blog and videos. I try to mimic your process and I have come to develop a trading style that I truly believe in.

@mikebellafiore

Well this is a good problem to have because you are seeing the immense value of keeping a daily trading journal. I find it hard to take a developing trader seriously, who does not journal. Excellent work by you!

I personally prefer to journal live as this helps me focus on my number one goal for trading- improve each day. But since that does not work for you, let’s consider another solution.

How about you try and journal after the open, around 11AM, and then before the close, around 2:15PM, and then right after the close, around 4:15PM?

This will enable you to journal during the down times of trading. And to journal when you memory of your trading is most fresh.

Try that and let me know how that works for you.

*no relevant positions