I do not need to make a profit; I just want to get my money back. This is the most dangerous sentence in trading. It signals that you have stopped trading the market and started fighting your own past mistakes. This mindset shifts you from a Trader to a Gambler instantly.
🔸 You think that if you lose 10%, you just need to make 10% to fix it. Wrong. The math of loss is non linear and cruel.
Lose 10% -> Need 11% to break even.
Lose 20% -> Need 25% to break even.
Lose 50% -> Need 100% to break even.
By trying to make it back quickly, you are forced to take higher risks to achieve these higher returns, which statistically leads to a total wipeout.
🔸 You subconsciously believe the market owes you that money. You treat your lost capital as if it were still yours, just temporarily misplaced.
Reality that money is gone. It belongs to someone else now. The market has no memory and no obligation to refund you.
Every time you enter a trade specifically to win back previous losses, you are trading with emotion, not logic.
🔸 Fixating on getting back to even often makes traders hold onto losing positions for months, hoping for a miracle bounce.
While you are stuck in a dead trade praying for breakeven, you are missing 10 other profitable opportunities right in front of you.
🔹 Perform a Mental Hard Reset.
Stop looking at your account all time high balance. Your current balance is your only reality.
If you have $5,000 left from a $10,000 account, do not trade like you have $10,000. Trade as if you are a new trader starting with $5,000.
Stop looking for one home run to fix everything. Focus on hitting small, consistent singles.
Are you trading the chart in front of you, or are you trading the ghost of your account balance from last week?
News is for reference, not investment advice. Please read carefully before making a decision.