The Screenshot Isnât the Victory â The Decision Is
Every trader loves screenshots. Green numbers. High ROI. Big unrealized PnL glowing on the screen. It feels like proof. Proof that the analysis worked. Proof that the plan was right. Proof that you were smarter than the market â at least this time.
But hereâs the uncomfortable truth most people donât talk about:
A screenshot doesnât mean the trade is finished. It only means the trade is exposed.
In the image above, everything looks perfect. The position is deep in profit. Leverage did its job. The numbers are clean. Emotions are high. And this is exactly the moment where most traders make their biggest mistake â not by entering late, but by exiting wrong.
The market doesnât pay you for being right.
It pays you for closing correctly.
---
Open Profit Is Not Your Money
Until you close a trade, the market still owns it. Unrealized profit is just a possibility, not a guarantee. Price doesnât care about your screenshot, your feelings, or how well you âcalledâ the move. It only cares about liquidity.
Many traders blow profitable positions because they confuse confidence with control. When the trade is green, they feel invincible. They start imagining even bigger targets. They ignore the original plan. They let greed slowly replace discipline.
And then one candle does what ten couldnât.
---
The Hardest Button to Click Is âCloseâ
Anyone can enter a trade.
Few can exit it properly.
Closing a winning trade feels like betrayal â as if youâre cutting potential. But professional traders donât chase potential. They execute plans. When the plan is fulfilled, they donât negotiate with the market. They respect the outcome.
Thatâs why the message âLetâs close this position alreadyâ matters more than any entry signal ever will.
It shows:
Emotional control
Respect for risk
Trust in process
Detachment from greed
This is not fear. This is maturity.
---
Precision Beats Prediction
Notice something important:
The success here didnât come from guessing. It came from precision.
Entry was planned.
Risk was defined.
Leverage was controlled.
Exit was decisive.
No hope. No panic. No âletâs wait a bit more.â Just execution.
Most traders lose not because their analysis is bad, but because their discipline collapses when money is on the line.
---
Big Numbers Can Be Dangerous
High ROI looks exciting, but it also magnifies mistakes. The higher the leverage, the smaller the margin for emotional error. Thatâs why closing on time is a skill â not a weakness.
A trader who consistently takes âenoughâ profit will always outperform the one chasing âmaximumâ profit.
Markets reward consistency, not bravery.
---
The Real Flex Is Walking Away
Anyone can show profits.
Few can walk away satisfied.
Closing a trade in profit and stepping back is power. It means you donât need the market to validate you. It means you understand that tomorrow will bring new setups, new opportunities, new chances â if your capital survives today.
Survival is the first rule of trading. Growth comes later.
---
Final Thought
If you want to trade long-term, stop falling in love with open positions. Treat them like tools, not trophies. Execute. Close. Move on.
The goal is not to win one trade.
The goal is to stay in the game.
And sometimes, the smartest move is simply pressing âCloseâ and letting the market go.
đ
