Once you reach a certain level in trading, you'll gradually realize: your biggest opponent is never the market, but your own desires.

How many people fall into the trap of "must catch every wave"? They can't help but place orders whenever they see price fluctuations, get FOMO when others are making money. The result? Frequent trading actually causes the account to bleed continuously. What do all true experts have in common? It's not that they are glued to the screen every day or that they always catch the bottom perfectly. On the contrary, they spend more time in cash or have accepted that holding no position itself is a valid trading decision.

When you start allowing yourself to miss certain opportunities, the moment when you truly differentiate yourself will come. Because you're no longer trying to "prove how smart you are," but instead are "following your trading system." Market opportunities are abundant, but patient traders are rare. The secret of experts is simple: only act when your own signals appear; otherwise, just wait.

So how can you avoid being driven by emotions? This relates to the importance of keeping a trading journal. Many people only record buy and sell points, but what truly matters is writing down the logic at the time, your mood, hesitation, and impulses. Years later, when you revisit these notes, you'll notice an interesting phenomenon: the actual price numbers aren't that fascinating, but your psychological journey is shockingly clear.

The value of repeated review also lies here. It's not just about learning technical indicators or trading methods; at a deeper level, it's about understanding yourself—what types of market conditions you tend to make mistakes in, what emotional states cause you to lose control, and under what circumstances you remain calm and rational. These self-awareness insights are often more valuable than any trading strategy.

There's also a detail worth recording: thoughts outside of trading. A book, an interesting conversation, a sudden insight—these may seem unrelated to trading, but they often can reopen your understanding at a later stage. Because your comprehension evolves with experience. Many things you once couldn't understand only become clear after you've suffered losses.

Ultimately, the goal of trading isn't to beat the market, but to learn how to get along with yourself. When you truly achieve this, account growth often becomes a natural process.