I blew my first account in 2 weeks. Classic. Here's what would've saved me:

1. Risk management isn't optional — it's the entire game.

I was risking 10-20% per trade because "I was confident." Confidence without a stop loss is just gambling. Now I never risk more than 1-2% per trade, and my equity curve looks completely different.

2. You don't need to trade every day.

The best setups come to you — you don't chase them. Some of my most profitable weeks had 2-3 trades total. Overtrading is the #1 account killer for beginners.

3. Paper trading is underrated.

Everyone wants to skip to real money. But if you can't be profitable on paper, you won't be profitable with real capital. I paper traded for 3 months before going live, and it changed everything.

If you're just getting started, take it slow. The market will be here tomorrow.