Pros don’t guess what works they know, because they track it. Keeping a journal feels akin to marking every trade’s entry and exit; it’s tedious, but it’s your map. You don’t need to predict the market’s mood swings; you need data why you bought, sold, won, or lost. Without it, you’re flying blind, repeating dumb moves. When the market’s erratic, signals mixed, you lean on your notes, spot patterns. But when it hands you a setup like a divergence screaming reversal you trade with proof, not hope. Every entry you log builds your smarts. Write it down, trader your journal’s your gold!