The Three Questions

Most traders journal the wrong things. They record P&L and forget to record the why. Here are the three questions a journal must answer to actually improve your trading.

1. Which strategy actually pays you?

Most traders run three or four setups in parallel and have no idea which one is the breadwinner. A proper journal tells you, by tag, which playbook is profitable and which is bleeding you. You may be surprised. The setup you love is often the one that does not love you back.

2. When are you dangerous?

There is a time of day, a day of the week, or an emotional state in which you lose money. Find it. Avoid it. For most traders, Friday afternoons and the hour after a big loss are where the damage happens. Your data will tell you exactly where yours is.

3. What does your edge look like with the bottom 10% removed?

If removing your worst 10% of trades transforms you from break-even to profitable, your edge is real but your discipline is not. That is fixable. The journal shows you which trades to stop taking — and that is worth more than any signal.