I do not think traders start making money until they mature and understand the big picture. I have been on this journey myself and went through the wild excitement of the internet bubble, day trading and the experience of making a few hundred dollars in a few minutes the first time and the delusion of the get rich quit trading scheme and the expectations of doubling or tripling an account within a year. The game of trading has large amounts of money flowing through the markets that we want to capture for our accounts and can give rise to emotions that make us act immature through the delusion of ignorance, ego, and greed. We can easily become unrealistic and go down the wrong road, it is crucial for success that we stay on the right road.

1. Quit believing all the riches of people promising that you will be rich if you just sign up for their newsletter, seminar, or join their premium service. Look for realistic resources to learn from. The more hype the more the probability of a service being a scam.

2. Quit thinking you are going to double or triple your account in less than a year, even if you do that just means in almost all situations you are taking on too much risk. If you can achieve a 20%-25% annual return then you are among the best traders in the world, these are close to the annual returns of legends like George Soros, Warren Buffet, and Paul Tudor Jones.

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