After trading contracts for a long time, you realize that it's not a cash machine at all, but rather a series of sieves. Those who are impatient, greedy, or reckless are all filtered out. The ones who truly survive rely on patience and discipline.

I once followed a senior trader who had failed countless times but finally found his own rhythm. He once said something I’ve always remembered: "Contracts are not an ATM; they are a place to sift people." At the time, I didn’t understand, but after I stepped into a pit myself, I suddenly realized.

He taught me a set of methods, and I followed them for half a year before my account gradually stabilized. Here are the ten most important core principles, simplified:

Take action when you see profits. Don’t aim for the ceiling; taking what you can is true skill. The more volatile the market, the more cautious your moves should be, because the more frightening the market, the deeper the traps. If you don’t understand a market, just don’t touch it—those vague structures are preset traps. Don’t use too much leverage; a short circuit affects your emotions, not your funds. One or two trades a day are enough; frequent trading isn’t bravery, it’s a sign of chaotic rhythm.

Record every operation—why you entered, why you exited. Writing it down will help you discover your own problems. When you feel uneasy, the first step is to reduce your position. Light positions make judgment clearer; heavy positions make mistakes easier. Don’t dream of bottoming out or topping out; trading in the middle is comfortable and stable. Completely let go of previous emotions—after a profit, it’s easy to get carried away; after a loss, it’s easy to gamble. If your mind isn’t steady, all techniques are useless. The last rule—always keep some bullets for yourself. The market never lacks opportunities; what’s lacking is the principal to survive with.

That senior often said: "In contracts, only those who survive long can go far." If you can stick to these ten rules, you are already ahead of most people. Many aren’t slow; they’re just blindly stumbling in the dark. The light has always been there; the key is that you need to keep up.