How do you handle the first profitable month?

The first green month is a trap for many: confidence spikes, size grows, rules loosen, and the next month gives it all back. It's one of the most predictable patterns in beginner trading.

How do you handle the first profitable month? — drawdown and recovery diagram
An equity curve during a drawdown and its recovery

What happened after your first good month?

  • what changed in your behaviour
  • how the following month went
  • the rule you'd set before the next one
How do you handle the first profitable month? — risk-reward diagram
A risk-reward ratio of 1 to 2

The drawdown guide is worth reading while the equity curve still looks good.

Background: Drawdown and recovery: why a 50% loss needs a 100% gain

Losses and gains aren't symmetrical. See how much you need to recover from a drawdown, what losing streaks do at different risk levels and how to set limits.

How much do you need to gain to recover from a 50% loss?

100%. The gain needed is the loss divided by one minus the loss, so larger drawdowns need disproportionately larger gains.

What is maximum drawdown?

The largest fall in account value from a peak to a later low, before a new peak is reached, usually expressed as a percentage.

Read the full guide

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