Some friends ask me why, after a full year, I still haven't reached the 1 million goal. Is it because I'm not working hard enough? My usual answer is: it's not about effort; most likely, you're going in the wrong direction.

I've been in this market for nearly ten years, experiencing margin calls, pitfalls, repeated account resets, and also times of stable turnaround, with cumulative gains exceeding 50 million. Today, I want to share not about trading emotion management or signal calling strategies, but those practical insights that truly changed my trading results.

If you read carefully, it can help you avoid several years of pitfalls.

**Don't go all-in when your account is small**

For accounts under 100K, it's not about trading frequency but patience. Just one decent major upward wave per year is enough. Many people don't understand that holding cash and waiting is also a skill, and perhaps the most valuable one.

**Trading skills are still lacking; making money mostly depends on luck**

Before risking real money, practice in demo accounts. Execution and mindset can be tested repeatedly in simulation. But in real trading, one big mistake can mean immediate exit, with no second chances.

**Be cautious when good news arrives**

If the market doesn't rise on the day of major positive news and opens high the next day, it's usually an opportunity for retail investors to sell. The market never lacks stories; what it truly lacks is how many are willing to take over the position.

**Before holidays, consider reducing or clearing positions**

This has been proven countless times in history. Risk control before holidays is always more worthwhile than gambling. Staying alive is more important than anything else; only by surviving do you qualify for the next round.

**The key to medium- and long-term trading is not holding on stubbornly**

The core is cash management—lightening positions at high levels, building positions gradually at low levels, rolling operations, always keeping some bullets in hand. Buying the bottom all at once and holding until the top? That's the game of institutions. If retail traders think like that, they are probably being washed out by the big players.

**Only trade coins with volume**

Ignore coins with low trading volume and dull volatility. Trading such coins not only makes no money but also ruins your mindset.

**The pattern of decline determines the quality of the rebound**

A slow, continuous decline can be very frustrating to rebound from, but panic-driven rapid sell-offs often lead to quick technical recoveries. This pattern is quite interesting.

**If you buy wrong, cut losses quickly**

Stop-loss is a fundamental skill in trading. Most people fail not because they can't make money but because they can't bear to cut losses. As long as your principal isn't wiped out, opportunities are always there. When you learn to let go of those bad trades, your trading career will change.

**For short-term trading, 15-minute K-line charts are most critical**

Use KDJ indicators to gauge rhythm and spot divergences, which can filter out many emotional bad trades.

**You don't need to learn too many technical indicators**

Methods are never better the more you have; what's important is whether you've truly mastered them. Refining one or two mature models repeatedly until they are perfect is much better than learning ten indicators and being mediocre at all.

All these ten pieces of advice are not copied from books. Each one is earned through real money and countless mistakes. Losing less each time is, in itself, making money.