Fifteen minutes. Truly, just fifteen minutes, and half of the money in the account was gone. The candlestick chart on the screen showed no mercy at all. At that moment, I finally understood: this market never spares the reckless. If you don’t respect it enough, it will clean you out completely.

Having been in this circle for years, I’ve seen too many stories. Some people doubled their money ten times during a rally, only to lose everything a few months later due to overconfidence; others charged in with passion, but couldn’t hold on for even a month and quietly exited, too lazy to even explain.

After witnessing these ups and downs, you gradually realize: this is not a casino, but a mirror. It reflects the most fragile parts of human nature—greed, luck, fear, impulsiveness. Those who survive are not relying on recklessness or luck. The real dividing line is one word: restraint.

I’ve also gone through that muddled period myself. Later, I achieved thirtyfold returns on a certain coin, not because I had some secret, but because I finally learned three simple disciplines.

**First: Never touch the bottom line of losses**

No matter how optimistic you are about this direction, it’s useless. Each single loss must be strictly controlled within 2% of total funds. If you have 10,000 U in your account, then a loss of 200 U means you must cut your position. Even if the next candle after stopping out suddenly surges, you won’t regret it—principle is fundamental, staying alive is the key to everything that follows.

Many people think this ratio is too conservative. But think about it—ten consecutive unlucky judgments only cost you 20% of your principal, and you can still continue. Conversely, if you lose without control each time, just three or five big losses can wipe you out immediately. That’s why many people get liquidated quickly by frequent stop-losses.

**Second: Make no more than two trades per day**

I used to be a trading fanatic, making over ten trades a day. Later, I realized that besides paying commissions, I learned nothing. In fact, the more frequently I traded, the more chaotic my mindset became, and I was more prone to impulsive orders when I shouldn’t be trading.

So I forced myself to slow down. Unless there’s a very clear opportunity signal, I wait patiently. The result? Miracles happened: fewer trades, clearer judgment. Because I was truly waiting with focus, taking a few extra minutes to think about each trade, and that rush feeling completely disappeared.

**Third: Take profits to "save" yourself first**

Whenever floating profits exceed 50%, immediately withdraw the principal part. The remaining profit is used to continue rolling. The benefit of this approach is that even if the market turns later, you only lose this wave’s profit, and the principal is already safely in your pocket. It also relieves some psychological pressure.

Honestly, this strategy may look like “cutting losses,” as if giving up on bigger gains. But that’s a misconception. True greed isn’t about pushing to the limit once; it’s about surviving long enough to take a share in each cycle. Making ten small profits is far more reliable than risking one big one.

These three rules may sound simple and lack depth—they are just basic money management and mindset building. But it’s precisely these simplest things that divide traders into two worlds. One side is caught in frequent liquidation and chasing every rise and fall; the other side is steady and able to survive every bull and bear cycle.

The market is always there, and opportunities are daily. But your principal is only one. Protecting this principal is more important than anything else.