Last year, a buddy came to me with $2,700, and his account was almost wiped out. I set three strict rules for him, and he gritted his teeth and followed them for three months—his account actually grew to $50,000, without a single liquidation along the way.

**First, how to allocate funds**
Divide the money into three parts, each serving its own purpose: $900 strictly for short-term trades, with a maximum of two trades per day—once you’re done, stop trading; another $900 is for trend trading, and if the weekly chart doesn't show a bullish pattern, treat it as if that money doesn't exist; the remaining $900 is an emergency reserve, only to be used to buy the dip when the market makes a sharp move.

**Next, how to spot opportunities**
Are the moving averages all tangled up? Then keep waiting. Is there a breakout above previous highs with volume? That’s when you can dip your toes in with a small position. If your unrealized profit exceeds 30%, cash out half—don’t get greedy.

**Finally, stick to discipline**
If you lose 3%, cut your losses immediately—don’t make excuses. Once you’re up 10%, move your stop loss to your entry price. At midnight, close your trading app—those crazy overnight moves aren’t your concern.

To put it bluntly, if you get liquidated, you're really out of the game. As long as your principal is intact, you'll always have a chance to bounce back. There’s no shortage of opportunities in the market—the only shortage is of people who survive long enough to seize them.