When your balance is running low, there's no need to rush into turning things around.

Several crypto friends around me have asked similar questions: I only have a few thousand USDT left in my account, is there still a chance to bounce back? Every time I hear this, I think of a friend's experience.

During his toughest period, he lost over a hundred thousand in just three months. The problem wasn't a lack of effort; in fact, he was putting in too much. He chased hot spots every day with full positions, his mind revolving around one thought—hurry up and recover the losses. The more he thought this way, the more chaotic his trading became, his judgment distorted, and eventually, losses snowballed and grew heavier.

When he came to me later, he was already doubting himself, feeling he might really not be cut out for this. I didn't comfort him; I only gave him one condition: if he wanted to keep playing, he had to follow the rules.

The first step was to clear everything out and temporarily step away from the market for a few days. This isn't giving up; it's stopping the bleeding. Only a minimal amount of funds was kept in the account for testing trades, with a very simple goal—don't make big mistakes again.

Once he stabilized, his thinking could operate normally.

The next focus was to rebuild his trading framework, only trading mainstream coins. Before each entry, he had to thoroughly consider three questions: Why am I entering, where is the stop-loss point, and where is the take-profit target? If he couldn't clearly answer these, he wouldn't place an order.

Gradually, he realized that the real culprit behind losing money wasn't the market itself, but that he had never set a bottom line.

The most critical change then occurred—protect the principal first, then consider growth. When losing, actively reduce positions; when making profits, only then dare to add positions, and only with the profits already earned—never use the principal to fight back. After consecutive stop-losses, he would proactively lower his position size; after consecutive gains, he would also stop to rest, to avoid being driven by emotions.

After a few months, his way of thinking changed completely. No longer debating whether to buy or not, but instead focusing on whether his actions conformed to the established rules. Planning, executing, and reviewing became instinctive.

Whether he can make big profits is another matter, but at least he won't be eliminated by the market in advance. Market cycles repeat, opportunities are endless, and the only prerequisite is that you remain active in the market.