Recently, I've gone through quite a bit of heartbreak. After several days of losses, I was completely wiped out. Fortunately, today I finally recovered $11,000, which was a relief. But looking back, every mistake I made along the way is still vivid in my mind.

Where did the problem lie? Unrealized gains. In those few opportunities, the account showed an unrealized profit of over $10,000. I thought I could wait patiently, but then—market suddenly turned against me, and the shiny profits evaporated in an instant. In the end, I not only failed to make a profit but also got caught in a position. My mindset also collapsed, and my decision-making started to distort.

The biggest lesson is this: only the profits that are realized in your account are true gains. Unrealized gains may look good, but they carry enormous risks. If you haven't pressed the close position button, it means you're still holding a bet. You're betting that the market will continue moving in your favor, but for volatile assets like BTC, a reversal can happen in the blink of an eye.

My current understanding is that trading isn't about who makes the most money, but about who can hold on. Lock in profits into your account in time to keep your mindset stable. This is far more important than catching every wave of price increases. The essence of account growth is the accumulation of countless small, disciplined wins.