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Lesson 8 of 8 · 2 min

Your first 30 days

A simple, week-by-week plan to go from zero to a tested routine — mostly in simulation.

The goal of your first month isn't profit. It's to build a routine, learn your instrument, and collect honest data about yourself.

Week 1 — Set up

  • Pick one instrument (MES or MNQ is ideal) and one platform.
  • Set up a simulation account and chart layout: session, volume, VWAP, prior day levels.
  • Read the Trading Basics track and Position sizing.
  • Write your risk limits (see Risk appetite).

Week 2 — Watch and mark

  • Before each session, mark 3–5 levels and check the news calendar.
  • Trade nothing. Just write what you expect at each level and what happened.
  • Learn what "normal" looks like for your instrument and time window.

Week 3 — Simulate

  • Trade in simulation with your real size rules.
  • Maximum 3 trades a day, in a fixed window (e.g. the first 90 minutes).
  • Journal every trade, including "Plan followed? Yes/No".

Week 4 — Review

  • Count your trades, R results, and how many followed the plan.
  • Find your best and worst setups and times.
  • Decide one change for next month.

When to go live

Only consider real money after a batch of simulated trades where you followed the plan almost every time — and then start with the smallest size possible. Following rules with fake money comes first.

What not to do

  • Don't buy every indicator and course at once.
  • Don't trade five instruments.
  • Don't go live because you had one good week.
  • Don't skip the journal.

Quick recap

  1. Week 1 set up · Week 2 watch · Week 3 simulate · Week 4 review.
  2. One instrument, one window, a few trades a day.
  3. Real money only after consistent rule-following.

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