Where do I start?

Hi Traders,

I’m new to posting on Reddit, so please bear with me.

I’m looking to get into trading and plan to start properly from January 1st. So far, I’ve picked up a few books and started saving YouTube videos to build some foundational knowledge. At the moment, I’m a complete beginner when it comes to strategies, trends, setups, etc.

The main reason for this post is to hear from people who’ve already been through the early stages. If you were starting again, what would you do differently? I’m hoping this can spark some healthy discussion around good habits, common mistakes, mindset, and genuinely useful resources.

I don’t have much capital to start with, and I’ve been reading through a lot of threads to get a feel for trader psychology and the struggles people face. From what I’ve gathered so far, success seems to come down to preparation, sticking to a strategy, and letting data and probabilities guide decisions rather than emotions — but I’m open to being corrected if I’ve misunderstood anything.

Just to be clear, I’m not looking for a get-rich-quick path, “easy money,” or overpriced courses designed to make influencers rich. I’m genuinely interested in learning how trading works from the ground up and taking a long-term, disciplined approach, ideally becoming profitable over time.

So my questions are:

• What advice would you give someone just starting out?
• What resources actually helped you (books, videos, communities, or reputable educators)?
• What should beginners focus on early — and what should they ignore?

I’ve noticed there’s a lot of negativity around new traders due to the flood of social-media gurus and course sellers, which makes it hard to know what’s legitimate. I’d really appreciate hearing honest experiences and perspectives from people who’ve navigated this already.

If anyone is potentially looking to take me on as a student, would love to discuss more :)

Thanks in advance — looking forward to learning from you all.