The word "financial freedom" took me a full 3 years to truly understand thoroughly.

It's a bit of a punch to the gut to say that. In the first year, I was all about getting rich overnight, turning my "earning goal" into "account explosion." Starting from the second year, I learned to recognize losses and cut them, spending more than half a year pulling my account out of the deep hole. By the third year, relying on a set of "rough methods" I developed through trial and error, I was no longer worried about livelihood and could confidently resign to focus on studying market trends.

From using 20,000 yuan of New Year’s money to enter the market, to now being able to get by without a job, I haven't relied on any insider information, nor have I dared to go all-in. My survival till now is entirely thanks to 7 rules I summarized myself. Honestly, if ordinary investors follow these, they can avoid at least 90% of the pitfalls.

**Rule 1: Diversify your principal.**
Divide your money into 5 parts, only trade with one part at a time. Set a 10% stop-loss line and never move it no matter what. Do the math— even if you get it wrong 5 times in a row, your total loss won't exceed 10%, so it won't hurt your core. Take out your principal once you gain 10%, which is called securing your gains.

**Rule 2: Follow the trend.**
The trend is like an ascending elevator; going with it saves effort. But if you go against the trend? That's like climbing stairs during a power outage—tiring and easy to fall. Don't try to "buy the dip" during a decline; that's not grabbing a bargain, that's giving away money. The real opportunity to get on board is during upward corrections.

**Rule 3: Never touch coins that surge wildly.**
Tripling in 3 days sounds tempting. But this kind of coin is a death sentence. You can't monitor the market 24/7, and most likely you'll end up holding the bag.

**Rule 4: Don't pile on too many indicators.**
I only use 3: MACD for the big trend, RSI to judge overbought/oversold, VPVR to find support and resistance. I used to add a bunch of flashy indicators, but it only confused me more. Simplicity and effectiveness always beat complexity.

**Rule 5: Don't add to your position when losing.**
Adding more when falling? That's like setting a trap for yourself— the more you add, the more you lose. Adding during an uptrend is how you ride the wave and truly amplify your gains. If you judge incorrectly, cut your losses decisively—don't cling to illusions and stubbornly hold on.

**Rule 6: Volume and price won't lie.**
Candlestick charts can deceive, but volume bars won't. A breakout after low volume at a low price? The market is about to start. High volume at a high price but no movement? That's the main force offloading, better to exit quickly. If you don't understand candlesticks, just watch the volume closely.

**Rule 7: Review your trades daily.**
After market close, write down 3 sentences: why you bought, why you sold, and how to improve next time. Stick to this for 30 days, and you'll save a lot of tuition fees and avoid many pitfalls. This is the cheapest way to learn.

Honestly, making money has no shortcuts. How to plan your funds, when to enter, and how to control the rhythm—all these are built on seemingly simple methods. Many think they are highly perceptive, but in reality, they just refuse to follow a disciplined routine.

The market moves every day. Keep your principal and your original intention, and when the next cycle comes, you'll be able to stand firm. These aren't some profound theories; they are lessons learned from repeatedly stepping into pits and reflecting in real trading. I hope this helps you avoid some detours.