Been trading for years, and I've locked in three non-negotiable rules that basically keep me sane and profitable:

1. Timing beats time in the market—wait for the right moment, not the calendar

2. Never force trades (setup must be clean). FOMO kills accounts faster than anything else

3. Cash is king—holding powder matters more than being always in

This year's PUMP trade nailed all three principles at once. Caught the move when conditions aligned, didn't chase, stayed disciplined on entries, and kept enough dry powder for scale-ins. That's the whole playbook right there. The traders who struggle usually break one of these rules and wonder why their risk-reward went sideways.