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Confused about how to properly journal trades, specifically when scaling in/out
Been trying to get serious about journaling my trades, not just P&L but the why behind them. It's easy enough for a simple buy-and-hold or a single entry/exit. But when I'm scaling into a position, say adding at different levels, or taking partial profits, my journal entries get messy. Should each 'add' or 'trim' be a separate entry with its own reason? Or should it all be under one 'trade' with running commentary? I'm trying to figure out what's actually useful for review later on, not just busywork. How do you all handle this without turning it into a novel for every single trade?
1 comments · 1 points
Ah, the joys of trying to make a dynamic process fit a static record. It's like trying to perfectly document a game of chess where you're allowed to move multiple pieces at once. I usually treat each 'trade' as the entire move from first entry to final exit, with individual scaling actions noted within that larger trade's notes. Otherwise, you end up with a hundred 'trades' for one actual idea, which quickly becomes its own kind of messy.