Trade Journal

Hey guys, I didn't know if you kept a trade journal in addition to financial record keeping. I have off and on. Sometimes I get lazy but I want to get back in to it. It helps remind me of my thoughts at the time I entered in to and out of a trade. For instance, as I watch SLV climb toward $20 I just keep rolling my eyes and calling myself an idiot because I had a $15-$20 call spread on the books that cost me nothing to put on. However, according to my journal I felt at the time I put it on that I had very little chance to make or lose anything on that position. At that time SLV hadn't moved very much the previous six months and I think I put it on when SLV was at about $12. I specifically did this trade to get my feet wet with trading spreads and since it felt like low risk I was comfortable with it. I ended up getting out at about $16.25 and made some money, but obviously could have made a lot more. So the journal has helped remind me that I never thought it had a chance to reach $20. And my thoughts for exiting the trade have been completely wrong, but at least I have something written down to remind me rather than just complain when you should've could've would've made more money.