Yesterday I had a crazy trading story that clearly shows how not to trade, even if in the end everything ends up positive. At first, I entered a short position on one private coin, the market went against me, my position was completely wiped out, and trading started from an unpleasant loss. Instead of stopping, switching focus, and waiting for a new setup, I decided to re-enter the same idea in the same direction, basically out of stubbornness: 'I'll just open one last time and see what happens.' This is exactly the same madness I wrote about yesterday.
On the second attempt, the price finally turned down, but then nearly got liquidated again. However, I was very lucky that a limit order I had placed just near the liquidation level saved me — though the amount was already outside proper risk management rules. Still, I got lucky. Then the trade moved in my favor, and once inside the move, I started trading correctly: I took partial profits — first near x2, then closer to x3, and carried the remainder almost all the way to x5. In total, this was enough to fully cover the loss from the first trade and even secure a solid profit on top (roughly x3 relative to the deposit). So the day ended very positively, but also extremely stressful — and I'm fully to blame, because this kind of behavior isn't acceptable, and next time I might not be so lucky.
But the point isn't the beautiful result — it's the path that led to it. In reality, it was a gamble that just happened to end successfully. First, complete loss of the position, then a second entry into the same coin on emotion, adding more, with the logic of 'I need to get even.' Today the market allowed me to exit and even make a profit, but on another day, the same scenario could easily end in total deposit wipeout.
I'm recording this situation as a reminder: the important thing isn't the one-time result, but the rules used to achieve it. Normal trading is when you have a clear plan, a clear stop-loss, no re-entry due to stubbornness or the desire to recover lost money at any cost. Everything else is gambling, which you'll eventually have to pay for, sooner or later.
What can be taken from this story:
If you catch yourself thinking 'I'll just go in one more time to get even' or start adding to a position that's already heading toward liquidation — stop. This isn't a strategy, it's emotions, and they almost always end the same way.
Yesterday I got lucky, but I fully understand: the same approach on another day could easily wipe out my deposit. Normal trading is when you know your maximum risk per trade in advance, place a stop-loss without trying to 'rescue' it, and don't turn one loss into a series of emotional add-ons.
Learn from others' mistakes, not from your own deposit losses. Yes, this particular mistake allowed me to make a good profit, but will it work next time? I'm sure it won't.
Discipline and risk management are less exciting than comeback stories, but it's exactly these that allow trading for years, not just weeks.
I'm glad and satisfied with how it turned out, but at the same time angry at myself for such reckless actions. I didn't become poorer because of it, but this kind of behavior isn't acceptable. Even if you want to 'get even' — do it in moderation and with your head. Learn from others' mistakes, not from your own deposit losses, and always follow all the essential trading rules.