Remember when I used to trade like this: setting stop-loss points very tightly, afraid that the principal would go down another point; but setting profit targets way too high, dreaming of doubling a trade every day.

And then reality would slap me in the face. Either the stop-loss I just set would get wiped out, and the market would rise as expected; or I’d hold a position with substantial unrealized gains but be too greedy to exit, only to end up losing money. This vicious cycle repeated so many times that I finally realized I was trapped in a classic pitfall.

**Why are small stop-losses so easily hit?**

Market volatility is much more aggressive than most people estimate. When you place a stop-loss at what seems like a "reasonable" level, you're actually putting it within the normal breathing range of the market. The market makers can easily shake you out with a round of stop hunts. After being shaken out several times, your principal gradually erodes.

**Then why is it so hard to realize high take-profit targets?**

Very few trends move in a straight line. Most of the time, it’s a rhythm of two steps forward, one step back. You expect to ride the entire trend, but during a pullback, you start to waver—either cutting early and exiting or watching your profits evaporate. The only truly stable gains are often just from the most confident segment of the trend.

**The later changes**

I adjusted my stop-loss strategy. No longer fixated on "minimal loss," but placing it at the point where the "structure is truly broken." For example, in an uptrend, I set the stop-loss below the previous valid low. This gives the market enough room to breathe and allows me to genuinely judge whether I’ve fundamentally misread the direction.

My profit-taking logic also changed. Instead of chasing huge single-trade profits, I now take profits in stages. I reduce part of my position at the first expected target, recovering my principal first, and then go all-in to chase the trend with the remaining position. This approach reduces psychological pressure and makes it easier to hold onto subsequent trends.

Trading is not about who can make the most exaggerated single-trade profit, but about who can survive longer in the market. Stop-loss is to preserve strength and stay in the game; take-profit is to ensure every bit of profit continues to grow.

If you’re also caught in the cycle of "stop-loss being hit, missing out on take-profit," consider stopping and re-evaluating your trading rules.