The five fields every trade journal needs and most skip

[Shadow Trader]

Many journals record entry, exit and profit. That is bookkeeping, not analysis.

Five additional fields turn it into a learning tool.

1. Setup name. Without tagging the strategy, there is no way to measure which one works.
2. Session and time. Reveals when the edge exists.
3. Spread at entry. Exposes cost differences between conditions.
4. Emotional state, rated 1 to 5. Often the best predictor of rule breaks.
5. Rule adherence, yes or no. Separates execution errors from strategy errors.

After 100 trades, sorting by each field produces insights no chart can offer. A setup that looks poor overall may be excellent in one session. A strategy that appears profitable may only work when spread is under 0.5 pips.

The process takes under 30 seconds per trade if the template is ready, and a spreadsheet works fine.

Which fields are tracked in the journal here, and which one revealed the most?