How long you can last trading contracts basically comes down to whether you have a few ironclad rules.

Technical analysis isn’t actually the hardest part—the real killer is whether you can control yourself. I’ve been in this market for 8 years. I wouldn’t claim to be a technical genius, but at least I’m still here, thanks to sticking to a few basic things.

Stop-losses—many people find them embarrassing. After getting slapped a few times in a row, your mindset starts to crumble and you think you have to make it back on the next trade. The result? The more anxious you get, the messier your trades become, and eventually your account hits zero. My approach is simple and brutal—three consecutive losses, stop immediately. No more trading until I’ve reviewed my trades and my emotions are stable. As long as I have capital left, I can always get back in.

Position sizing is a lifeline. I’ve seen too many people go all-in trying to make a comeback, only to wake up and find their account gone. Now I have a strict rule for myself: never risk more than 10% of my total capital on a single trade. It’s fine to make money slowly; at least I won’t lose everything overnight.

Following the trend sounds simple, but it’s really hard to do. Trying to catch tops or bottoms during a one-sided market? That’s basically giving money away. Go with the trend—even if you don’t catch the juiciest part, at least you can exit safely.

Before every trade, I run the numbers. If the risk-reward ratio isn’t at least 2:1, I pass. If the profit potential isn’t big enough, it’s just not worth the risk. Missing out is better than losing money.

Another trap is overtrading. The more trades you make, the scarier the fees get, and the easier it is to lose control of your emotions. Now I just check the charts at fixed times and only trade when there’s a clear signal. Less is more—that’s absolutely true in contract trading.

Don’t mess around with random coins. I just focus on $BTC, $ETH, and $SOL. I watch them every day and know their character and rhythm, so I have confidence when I trade. Even if a new coin looks tempting, I’m not interested.

One last lifesaver: whenever I make money, I always withdraw a portion. My habit is to cash out half of my profits and keep the rest in play. No matter what happens next, at least some of my gains are locked in, so I can stay calm.

In contract trading, it’s never about who’s smarter—it’s about who survives longer. The market is always there, but impulsiveness and greed eliminate people every day. The ones who last are those who know how to protect themselves first.