At the end of last year, a friend came to chat with me with only 2,700 USDT left in his account. He was really panicked at that time and said he wanted to use that money to recover his previous losses.

I didn’t talk to him about those complicated technical indicators. Instead, I shared three trading habits I learned from my own mistakes. He actually followed this approach for three months, and his account grew from 2,700 USDT to 50,000 USDT. This made me realize that sometimes, surviving in the crypto world isn’t about having advanced skills, but about whether you can control yourself.

**First Habit: Split Your Money Into Three Parts**

I suggested he divide his 2,700 USDT into three portions of 900 USDT each, with a predetermined purpose for every part:
- The first part is for short-term trades, with a maximum of two trades per day. After that, close the app; staring too long makes you itch to trade.
- The second part is dedicated to trend trades. If the weekly chart hasn’t shown a clear bullish pattern or broken through a key level with volume, just stay on the sidelines.
- The third part is for emergencies. If the market suddenly spikes and your position is about to get liquidated, you can use this to add margin and protect your position.

If your principal is gone, no matter how good the opportunity is, you can only watch it slip by.

**Second Habit: Take Profits When the Trend Comes, Learn to Wait Otherwise**

I lost quite a bit in choppy markets early on, losing on nine out of ten trades. Later, I stuck to one principle:
- If the daily moving averages aren’t aligned in a bullish pattern, stay in cash—don’t be afraid to miss out.
- Only try a small position when the price breaks above the previous high with volume and the daily chart holds above it.
- When profits reach 30% of your principal, withdraw half of the profit, and set a 10% trailing stop for the remainder.

Only the money in your pocket is real. Don’t always try to catch the entire trend.

**Third Habit: Set Rules in Stone Before Entering a Trade**

Before every trade, you must have a plan:
- Set a fixed stop loss at 3%. If it hits, auto-close the position—never hold and hope.
- Once profits hit 10%, immediately move your stop loss to breakeven to at least protect your principal.

The longer you stare at the screen, the more likely your emotions will spiral out of control, leading to bad decisions. There are trading opportunities every day, but if you lose your principal, you lose everything.

If you’re also struggling with account volatility and want to avoid some pitfalls, try implementing these simple rules into your trading. Gradually build your own trading rhythm.