Successful trading is defined by risk management and psychological discipline rather than complex strategies. To survive the initial learning curve, new traders must prioritize capital preservation by using strict stop-losses and avoiding over-leverage, while accepting that small losses are an unavoidable cost of doing business. By focusing on a simple, repeatable process and maintaining the patience to wait for high-probability setups, you move from emotional gambling to professional speculation, eventually allowing profits to follow as a byproduct of consistent discipline.