When should you keep your money in your pocket? If you can't figure out this question, you'll eventually stumble in this circle.

I have seen too many people who aren't unable to earn money, but don't understand what it means to take profits when they are good. When the account numbers go up, they get carried away, and in the end, they even have to give back their original capital.

In 2019, I met a guy who invested 20,000 USD to enter the market, and within three months, his account skyrocketed to 300,000. A few of us kept urging him in the group to withdraw some profits, but he kept saying, "Once it hits a million, I'll exit the market." And what happened? In less than half a year, his account shrank to just over 10,000, not even holding onto his initial investment. Isn't that frustrating?

Actually, I don't have the right to criticize others either. During the big market surge in 2021, my account peaked at 1.8 million U, and I was feeling inflated, with just one thought in my mind—"If I double it again, I'll stop." But the market won't follow your script, will it?

By the time I came to my senses, there was only 400,000 left in my account. During that time, I would think every day, "How nice it would have been if I had withdrawn the money back then," but unfortunately, there is no time machine in this world.

That time I was awakened: The real winners in this circle are never determined by how high your account balance goes, but by how much real money you can actually take away. Since then, I set a strict rule for myself: when my position triples, I immediately withdraw half and walk away, giving myself no excuses or reasons. By locking in part of the profits first, my mindset won't be hijacked by those numbers, and my account can last longer.

People often ask, "How much do you need to earn to be satisfied?" To be honest, there is never enough money, but the pressure that a person can withstand has its limits. The key is whether you can proactively turn unrealized gains into reality before the market forces you to learn a lesson.

The first lesson this circle taught me is: don’t fantasize about being able to exit at the peak; that is fundamentally a false proposition. Those who truly survive and can still smile are often the smart ones who understand to get off the ride halfway up the mountain.