Top 5 Things to Log in Your Funded Account Journal
Once you’ve earned your funded trading account, journaling becomes even more critical. Every decision, risk, and mistake has real monetary consequences. Prop firms like Prop Shop Traders or Funded Futures Network hold you to strict daily loss limits and rule compliance—so there’s no room for guesswork. Logging the right details in your journal helps you maintain consistency, protect your capital, and grow your account over time. Here are the five most essential things every funded trader should track in their journal.
1. Trade Setup and Strategy
Each journal entry should start by clearly describing the trade setup you used. Was it a breakout, pullback, trend continuation, or range reversal? Include:
- Timeframe and market context
- Key technical levels (support/resistance, VWAP, etc.)
- Indicators or signals that triggered your entry
This helps you identify which setups produce the best results over time—and which ones you need to eliminate or refine.
2. Entry, Exit, and Risk Parameters
Funded accounts have razor-thin risk tolerance. You need to log each trade’s:
- Entry price and exit price
- Stop-loss and take-profit levels
- Risk-to-reward ratio
- Lot size or contract size
When you track this consistently, you’ll quickly spot if you’re cutting winners too early or allowing losers to run past your plan.
It also lets you reverse-engineer your best-performing trades by seeing how tightly you controlled risk.
3. Emotional State and Psychology
Prop trading isn’t just technical—it’s emotional. Journal how you felt before, during, and after each trade. Ask yourself:
- Was I anxious, confident, distracted?
- Did I hesitate or act impulsively?
- Was my decision in line with my trading rules?
By tracking your emotional state, you can tie performance back to mental discipline—not just technical skill. Use emotional tags like “FOMO,” “Revenge Trade,” or “Calm Execution” to detect patterns over time.
4. Rule Compliance
This one is non-negotiable. Every prop firm gives you a rulebook—daily drawdowns, maximum position size, trading hours. Your journal must track whether you followed or violated those rules.
- Did I exceed my daily loss limit?
- Did I take trades outside approved hours?
- Did I break my own rules—not just the firm’s?
Use journal sheets like the Prop Firm Press Journal Sheets to track violations, warning signs, and high-risk behavior before it gets out of hand.
5. Key Lessons and Adjustments
Don’t just record data—interpret it. End each journal entry with one key takeaway:
- What did I learn from this trade?
- What adjustment will I make tomorrow?
- What rule do I need to revisit or reinforce?
This turns your journal into a daily feedback loop. Over time, you’ll develop a blueprint for success that’s built on actual experience—not just theory or backtests.
Bonus Tip: Use a Journal Dashboard
If you’re using a digital format like Notion, Excel, or a tool like Edgewonk, set up a dashboard that summarizes your trades by strategy, win rate, emotion tag, or day of the week. This lets you filter and analyze your journal like a funded trading CEO—not just a hobbyist.
Consistency Beats Complexity
Many traders overthink journaling. You don’t need fancy tools or custom scripts. You need consistency. If you log these five elements every day, your performance, mindset, and discipline will naturally improve. And when you hit a drawdown or violate a rule, your journal will show you why—and how to bounce back smarter.
Make It a Ritual
Set a time each day—after the session closes—to update your journal. Use a timer. Keep it under 15 minutes. The habit will keep you grounded, accountable, and constantly improving. Whether you’re funded by Lucid Trading or testing a new firm, journaling is the edge that most traders ignore. Make it your secret weapon.