Everything you need to do BEFORE you risk a single dollar
"I failed for 4 years because I didn't have this roadmap. You don't have to make the same mistakes."
Let me be real with you.
99% of people who try trading fail. Not because they're stupid. Not because trading is impossible. But because they skip the fundamentals and jump straight into risking money.
I lost money for almost 4 years before I figured this out. I didn't have a roadmap. I didn't have a mentor. I just guessed and hoped.
If you follow these 5 steps IN ORDER, you'll be ahead of 99% of traders before you ever place your first trade.
Let's get into it.
Before you do ANYTHING else, you need to understand what trading actually is - and what it isn't.
You WILL take losses - Even the best traders lose. It's part of the game.
You WILL have frustrating days - The market doesn't care about your feelings.
You WILL need to stay emotionally neutral - No celebrating wins, no panicking on losses.
Ask yourself honestly: "Am I ready to commit to learning this the RIGHT way, even if it takes months or years?"
If yes → Move to Step 2
If no → Trading isn't for you (and that's okay)
You need a platform where you'll analyze charts, backtest strategies, and eventually place trades.
Best for: Backtesting, advanced charting, futures trading
Cost: Free
Best for: Serious traders who want professional tools
Best for: Clean interface, easy to learn, great for stocks/crypto
Cost: Free (with paid upgrades)
Best for: Visual learners and beginners
✓ Pick ONE platform (I recommend Thinkorswim)
✓ Create a free account
✓ Spend 30 minutes exploring the interface
✓ Don't place any trades yet - just get familiar
Before you analyze anything, before you learn any strategies, you need to just WATCH the market move.
When you eventually have real money on the line, the speed and volatility of the market can be shocking. You need to get comfortable with how fast things move.
• How fast price moves
• How volatile the market can be
• What candlesticks look like in real-time
• How your emotions react to movement (even without money involved)
Spend at least 1 week (5 trading days) watching the market for 30+ minutes per day.
No pressure. No trades. Just observation.
Pick ONE instrument and commit to mastering it. Don't jump around.
Imagine you had 10 girlfriends. You'd never be able to master any of their behaviors. You'd never fully understand what triggers them, what makes them happy, or how they react under stress.
But if you have ONE girlfriend and you put all your energy into understanding her, you'll master everything about her.
Trading is the same way.
If you trade 10 different stocks, you'll never master any of them. But if you focus on ONE, you'll start to understand its patterns, behavior, and how it reacts in different conditions.
ES (S&P 500 Futures) or SPY/SPYU (S&P 500 ETF)
Why? Because it's liquid, it follows institutional money, and it's what I trade.
Pick ONE instrument and commit to it for at least 3 months. No switching.
Now that you've done the groundwork, it's time to actually LEARN.
But here's the problem: YouTube and social media are full of FAKE traders showing simulator accounts, fake profits, and strategies that don't work.
My YouTube Channel - I show my live account, my real trades, and I break down exactly how I approach the market. No BS. No fake profits. Just real trading.
✓ Subscribe to my YouTube channel
✓ Watch at least 5 of my long-form videos
✓ Take notes on concepts that resonate with you
✓ Avoid short-form "get rich quick" content
If you've done all 5 steps, you're already ahead of 90% of people who try trading.
But this is just the foundation. The REAL work begins now:
I offer two ways to fast-track your learning and avoid the mistakes that cost me 4 years:
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