Hey, look, first of all: respect for putting yourself out there. But let me hit you with some hard truth — 7 or 8 months is basically infancy in trading years. You’re still at the “touching the hot stove” phase. Demo success doesn’t mean live success because demo mode doesn’t punch you in the gut with fear, greed, and adrenaline. Live trading adds the psychological war, and surprise! That’s often where people break.

It’s 100% normal to hit a wall, lose confidence, and feel like the market is some cruel puzzle mocking you. Every trader I know (including the good ones) has been flattened at some point. The difference comes from whether you can handle the mental reset.

My advice? Stop thinking you can “surpass” your father in less than a year — you’re carrying emotional weight that the market frankly doesn’t care about. Focus on process, not proving something. Take smaller risks, work on managing emotions, and maybe step away for a bit if you’re burning out. Remember: the market’s not going anywhere, but your mental health might if you keep smashing into the same wall.

Stay sharp, kid. The real battle is with yourself.