Trader's Journal – a Tool of Discipline and Success

Kerry Lovvorn
Professional trader, featured in Entries & Exits 
Co-manager (with Dr. Alexander Elder), the Spike Group

Kerry is a full-time trader.  He is a graduate of two Traders' Camps (Regular and Advanced) and served as a Camp Counselor in the January 2007 Camp in the Caribbean.  He started out as a member of the Spike group of traders, rising to become its co-manager with Dr. Elder.  There is a chapter about Kerry's approach to trading in the book Entries & Exits .  His latest accomplishment has been winning the first round of the real-money trading competition within the Spike group.  Kerry's expertise, sincerity and focus will make a meaningful contribution to the quality of your Camp experience.

A note from Kerry:

One of the first books I read as a beginning trader was Trading for a Living . In it I saw a statement that had a great impact on my personal trading: “Show me a trader with good records and I will show you a good trader.”

That was the beginning of my journey towards creating a Trader's Journal. I wanted to capture all significant information about my trades without spending a lot of time. I wanted to be able to find information quickly and learn about my strengths and weaknesses. My Trader's Journal today is the product of more than five years of work.

In the beginning, your Trader's Journal is simply a record of entries and exits. As you continue, it becomes a research tool, a back-testing tool, a strategy builder, and a mirror of your psychology. It allows you to learn what works and what does not work for you in the markets, what strategies work the best under what market conditions. It helps you develop a personal trading style that capitalizes on your strengths and makes up for your weaknesses.

In this Camp I will teach you the methods I have learned, discovered and implemented in order to become a better trader. You will be able to benefit from my years of experience and leap forward, avoiding many dead ends.

I will show you how to use Microsoft Outlook for keeping your Journal. This software is much more than an email tool. Its search capabilities make it a powerful research tool. I will show you the exact format in which I keep my Trader's Journal.

Keeping a trading journal involves discipline. I will open my journal to you and show real trades, along with the records of different strategies.

Keeping a Trading Journal will make you a more thoughtful, disciplined, and ultimately more successful trader. We all must walk the road to discovery. I hope that our classes will make your journey a little more direct and productive.

I look forward to seeing you in the Camp.

Kerry Lovvorn