Wassup traders! Trevor aka TradeK1ng in the building. Now I get a lot of messages from beginners looking to get into trading. You’re captivated by the idea of potentially big rewards, but don’t know where to begin learning and end up spinning wheels watching YouTube with no strategy.
Well after over 15 years trading successfully myself, I want to share my experience on efficiently growing from novice to pro trader. This is the journey I took that allowed me to escape the 9–5 rat race and trade for a living. Let’s jump in!
Phase 1 — Building a Base (0–2 Years)
When first starting out, the priority is constructing a solid educational base across these core areas:
- Technical Analysis — Learn chart reading skills through books, courses and screen time. Start with support, resistance, trends, candlesticks and volume. Then advance into indicators like moving averages, RSI and Fibonacci.
- Strategy Development — Explore different trading strategies through books or communities. Experiment with strategies across markets and timeframes. Prove profitable ideas statistically through backtesting.
- Risk Management — Study position sizing, stop losses, cutting losses quickly, letting winners ride, and money management. These principles are more important early than complex strategies.
- Psychology — Develop patience and discipline through deliberate practice. Review losses rationally. Follow rules over emotions. Just 2–3% gains per month compounds significantly over years.
Consume everything you can during this early phase while trading small size. Build skills and exercise patience. Don’t rush or you may ingrain bad habits.
Phase 2 — Practical Skill Building (2–5 Years)
After establishing a baseline education, it’s time to implement through hands-on application:
- Screen Time — Commit to analyzing charts daily across different markets. Don’t just theorize — get the repetition analyzing price action and spotting opportunities in real market conditions.
- Frequent Trading — Trade regularly with size that allows acting without overthinking risk and developing experience…