How long to be profitable?

Ok the other one then.

It's possible to be profitable in 3 monthes, but to be profitable constantly it takes 1-2 years.

It's possible to be profitable immediately, but to be profitable constantly will vary significantly from person to person.

I am in my third year and have become profitable. It takes many hours and discipline to become profitable. You learn what works for you.

I think profitable should be defined as how many years the trader has been profitable consistently i.e 5 years or 10 years.

I've been trading for 2 years and still not closing many months with profit. But i am trying really hard and have stabilized my account a bit; I don't blow it up like i did before LOL

sorry senior. you're position trader at higher timeframe.
I'm just a scalper of 1MIN TF with 5-15mins bias. I demo for more than 1 year. but I just turn to live account last week which is a good week return for me.

The question should be: how long will it take you to be profitable? And the answer to that question is relative.
Therefore, are you individually prepared to do the things that are necessary to be successful, consistent in trading?
Many people aren't. That's why success elude them from year to year. Trading is 90% mental. Consistency is 90% mental.
If a trader is not consistent in his head, he will not be consistent in his trading.
Do you see a consistent way to make pips when you look at your chart? If you do, that is your edge. The simpler your edge is, the better it is. A single moving average on a chart that indicate to you a signal is way better than a complicated mess i.e. just saying.

Consistency is sticking to one strategy...
Consistency is ONLY taking trades when your strategy show them available...
Consistency is taking every trade that your edge (strategy) shows that is available...
Consistency is consistently defining your risk on every trade, and limiting your losses...
Consistency is taking profits diligently...
Consistency is sticky to as few currency pairs as possible... while maximizing the gains made from those pairs...
Consistency is ignoring the noise... while sticking to your style...
Consistency = discipline
Consistency = unwavering BELIEF in your edge (style of trading)
Consistency is having a simple methodology about the markets...
Consistency = PROFITS!!

I think we can not determines the exact time to how long we can profitable because it is upto you how you can manage your trades in this period.

There should be a category "longer than you think".

I don't know anyone who got consistent sooner than anticipated.

Hope I'm wrong on that.

It's always "longer".

One more point to mention.
Don't expect anything to happen in the market. Why?
Because anything can happen.
Traders need to be flexible with their expectation of what the market will or will not do, and be rigid with their rules of engagement!
That is why a sensible risk control plan is so important.
Anything can happen after you enter the market...
Only your edge provide the light that should guide you, not analysis to paralysis.

How you approach your initial trading endeavour has a lot to do with how long it will take you to be successful. I am in the 1-2 years camp for a trader to become successful or move on. Some traders stick to it for many years and then a few make it and most don't. Trading can be unending self-inflicted torture if you continue to miss several mandatory steps;

- Know money management better than your indicators [focus on money management and you will be ahead of the crowd]

- Have a proven method that can display realistic back-testing results or that others are using profitably with verified broker statements [don't you dare start trading anything until you know it has some chance of success]

- Work with extreme diligence on your psychology to understand trading is a probabilities game - pound this concept into your head over and over again [if you never fully understand this fact you will never have any credible chance at success]

- Learn the difference between high and low probability trade entries - trade the high probability action and leave the rest for the tail chasers [trade the boring probabilities game and don't chase the exciting "action" game]

- The most successful traders are the boring ones who are playing the "math" in trading and they embrace this massive edge - the Ferrari driving, GQ looking, "fire up their charts and bang out $10k a day just from experience" traders are so rare it is a false hope for you [you will almost never achieve that capability from an odds standpoint so don't let this be your goal. The predominance of high level traders are not flashy or cool - they are systematic, always testing, calculated, risk averse, logic driven, and decisive]

If you are willing to approach trading in the manner I described above you will dramatically lower your time-line to success. The question now is, do you want profits or are you trying to be cool?

I don't know. but I will stick with my game plan.

Very interesting. Its a shame I didnt find that thread before. Im supprise that it took 20 years for some people to be profitable!!