After three margin calls, I finally understood what a painful lesson really means.

The 2 a.m. "Account Forced Liquidation" notification made me stare at the ceiling and repeatedly ask myself—why is it always that one minute? The market never gives a second chance, but after this liquidation, I really woke up.

It was just the standard rookie trap: seeing a rally, going all in out of fear of missing the train to sudden wealth; seeing a decline, borrowing to buy the dip, with dreams of V-shaped reversals filling my mind. And the result? Either getting trapped at high levels or being shaken out at lows. My account was like a roller coaster, impossible to control. Only after careful review did I realize the core problem—greed.

Greed for quick recovery, greed for doubling, greed for overnight reversals—everything basic about trading discipline was thrown out the window. Greed is poison, especially in this market.

Through painful reflection, I set four strict rules for myself, and this time I am committed to following through:

**Never go all-in.** Keep single trades at a maximum of 20%-30%, even for the best opportunities, always keep some bullets. Light positions lead to a calm mind, and when the main force is shaking the market, you’ll have the capital to fight back.

**Take profits at 3%-5%.** Don’t think this is small; compounded annually, it turns into a big snowball. The simple rule: withdraw your principal and half of the profits first; only then is it truly earned.

**Stop-losses must be emotionless.** -4% immediately cut, don’t fall in love with the market. Better to suffer small losses multiple times than wait for a catastrophic liquidation. Losing small money is tuition; a liquidation is bankruptcy.

**Don’t chase others’ bottoms.** Wait for a volume breakout before entering, always prioritize certainty over price. The real bottom is built by capital, not by feelings or guesses.

After shedding greed, I finally caught the full wave of the market. Last November, when ETH retreated, I followed the rule and opened a 25% position. After breaking out, I added in stages, taking profit every 8% rise. Over a month, I gained 48%, and—most importantly—I slept better than ever.

The market only recognizes money and discipline, it doesn’t perform motivational dramas. Don’t ask "Why does it always fall right after I buy?" First, ask yourself: Is your position size too heavy? Have you truly set a stop-loss? Have you locked in profits? If the answer to all three is "No," then the decline isn’t about the market—it’s about your operation mistakes.

Here are three words that hit hard:

① Only by living long can you see a bull market; ② No greed, no gambling, no stubborn holding—profits will grow on their own; ③ Discipline is the strongest moat for retail traders. Change "wait one more minute" to "cut at the right time," and only then will you truly make money from this market.

In a volatile market, those who survive and profit are always the ones who dare to act first and know when to stop greed. Are you ready?