Discipline beats talent; survival is more important than high profits

People often ask how to achieve stable profits in the contract market. Honestly, there’s no secret—it's simply the moment I stopped messing around.

Back then, I started with $3,000 and never thought about turning it overnight. My only goal was: survive. The methods I want to discuss today may sound modest, but when applied with determination, they can save your life. Successful traders share common traits, while failures have their own stories.

First bottom line: surviving is the key to output

I divided the $3,000 into 10 parts, risking only $300 per trade, with 100x leverage. If I guessed right, a single point could double my money; if wrong, I immediately exit and never fight the market.

Position management is your true moat. I adhere to a strict rule: the risk on a single trade must never exceed 2% of the total account funds. For example, with a $10,000 account, losing more than $200 means stopping trading—no exceptions. It sounds rigid, but it’s this rigidity that allowed me to recover after five margin calls.

Leverage is a double-edged sword. Used improperly, it can backfire. I’ve seen too many people get liquidated under high leverage. Unless you have a deep understanding of risk, 2 to 5 times leverage is a relatively safe choice.

Stop-loss: walk away when you have the chance, don’t save face

I never argue with the market. The market is never wrong; only I might be mistaken. When it comes to stop-loss, I am more decisive than anyone.

Set your stop-loss clearly—whether it’s a fixed amount, a percentage, or based on technical analysis. For example, I might place a stop-loss 10% below the purchase price, or exit decisively when the price breaks below a key support level.