Many people enter the trading market with a single thought: is it possible to turn things around quickly?

This idea is understandable, but when you truly study those traders who have survived in the market for ten, twenty years, or even longer, you will encounter a cold reality—

Trading is not a 100-meter sprint. It is a marathon that lasts 30 to 50 years.

Based on nearly half a century of real trading experience, what do those who have truly survived do? They treat trading as a lifelong profession, not a dream-making game, nor a myth of getting rich overnight. It’s that simple and straightforward.

The reason you are reading this now is not to learn "how to operate the next trade." The focus is elsewhere—how an ordinary person can step by step become a true trader? The answer might be much more dull than you think.

**Mindset first, skills follow**

Traders often say a phrase that sounds like nonsense, but 99% of failures are due to this:

The root cause of trading failure is that the motivation itself is wrong.

A common trait among those entering the market—everyone wants to make money quickly. That’s not wrong; it’s human nature. But here’s the problem: if making money is your only driving force, the market will not show mercy.

The boundary between traders and gamblers lies here. Gamblers focus on profits. Traders focus on the process. The moment your mindset shifts from "getting rich quickly" to "taking this seriously as a profession," your win rate will start to climb.