I had a HUGE drawdown recently not bcos of my system (this system is nothing outstanding/special, it only able to produce average results over years) but mainly due to my lack of discipline to follow the signals generated and poor money management/overtrading. By having a trading log, I am hoping to be more discipline and no more double guess the siganls generated.
Take the rest of the day off and take tomorrow off. Come back on Monday, and start trading and then start your journal. You have to calm down, adjust, and get the right perspective. Oh yeah, instead of calling it the "losers journal"....call it the, "I gonna do my best journal." Give it your all...mentally and physically....then, if it doesn't work out...at least you will know that you did your best. And if it does work out...well then..hey, you deserve it and it will make you a stronger and better trader. Life isn't an easy road, but everything always works out for the best.
toby, do you look over your trades and really really analyzed what went wrong? What could go right? If you don't learn from your mistakes then you are doomed to repeat them over and over and over again. Hey, I know this. I've repeated some of my bad habits for the LONGEST time! It got to the point where I was so SICK of doing the same old stupid mistakes over and over that I finally changed. But in order to change, the first step is identification of the problem. Then setting a plan to change those bad habits. Then constantly looking for better ways to change. I'm still on this long journey called trading. It's a never ending battle to conquer and master yourself. But improvements are possible if you put your mind to it. You can't mindless repeat the same things over and over. If you do you then can beat your head against the wall and trade for the next 5yrs and still go NO WHERE! good luck dude!