Checklists
Trade Journal Template for Prop Firm Challenges
A prop firm trade journal should record setup, risk, rule status, emotional state, loss reaction, and whether the trader followed the daily stop. The reaction after losses matters as much as the entry.
Open the prop firm risk-control hubJournal the process, not only the result
A profit screenshot does not explain whether the trade was repeatable. The journal should capture the decision quality before and after the entry.
The most important field for many prop traders is what happened after a loss, because that is where account damage usually begins.
- Setup name
- Planned risk
- Entry reason
- Rule followed or broken
- Post-loss reaction
Use a daily review block
A daily review should answer whether the account was protected. Profit is useful, but process tells you whether the next session is safe.
Keep the review short enough that you actually complete it after stressful days.
- Did I respect the trade cap?
- Did I stop after the stop rule?
- Did I increase size emotionally?
- What trigger appeared first?
Add lock days to the journal
If a lock fired, treat that as journal evidence. The lock tells you where the plan started losing control.
Reviewing lock days can show whether the problem is revenge timing, rapid entries, fatigue or streaks. You spot the pattern; the tool does not.
Tilt Blocker is a Chrome extension with five locks you set while calm. Daily P&L lock: hit your Tradovate realized profit target or loss limit and new entries, adds and reversals are blocked for the rest of the Chicago trade date, on Tradovate, TopstepX and TradingView chart pages. Close, flatten and cancel stay available. Trading-window lock and RTH opening pause: your Chicago hours and opening pause hold on Tradovate, TopstepX and TradingView charts. Settings lock: Tradovate settings stay shut after your first fill. Purchase-site lock: supported prop-firm purchase sites are blocked during RTH. It doesn't score your clicks, track losing streaks or close anything for you. $49 lifetime. It does not guarantee performance or payouts.
- Record which lock fired
- Record what happened next
- Mark whether you tried to bypass it
- Use patterns to adjust rules
Session template
- Write the rule or checklist before opening the order panel.
- Take only the next trade if every checklist item is true.
- Stop the session when the checklist fails twice or one rule is broken.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using a checklist only after the trade has already gone wrong.
- Adding exceptions during a losing session.
- Reviewing profit while ignoring whether the process was followed.
How prop firm traders should apply this checklist
A checklist only protects a prop firm account when it is used before the order ticket opens. Put the rule beside the platform, then treat a missed item as a reason to slow down instead of a detail to fix after entry.
The practical test is simple: if the checklist would have stopped the last bad trade, it needs to be visible during the next session. That is where a browser lock can make the second bad trade harder to rationalize.
- Use the checklist before the first trade, not only after a loss.
- Mark one failed checklist item as a yellow state and two as a red state.
- Pair the checklist with a trade cap so boredom cannot turn into extra clicks.
FAQ
Common questions
What should I track in a prop firm journal?
Track setup, risk, rule adherence, emotional state, and especially the reaction after losing trades.
Do I need to journal every trade?
Yes, at least during a challenge or early funded phase. The journal is how patterns become visible.
Should I journal missed trades?
Yes, but after the session. Chasing missed trades live often creates overtrading.
Make the checklist harder to skip.
Your checklist says stop; Tilt Blocker makes the page agree. Hours and an opening pause on Tradovate, TopstepX and TradingView charts, Tradovate P&L and settings locks, and checkout shut during RTH. Set it before the second bad trade. It runs locally on topstepx.com and tradovate.com trading hosts, and the lifetime pass is the primary way to install the guardrail before the second bad trade.
- Install it before the next challenge attempt
- Use a lock as a required checklist reset
- Keep the guardrail active during the sessions where you usually negotiate