Start Day Trading in 40 Days: A Practical Guide
Follow this step by step guide and start day trading in 40 days of less

Day trading changed my life. There are no two ways about it. It is an exciting but challenging endeavor that requires preparation, discipline, and continuous learning. It’s not a path to quick riches, but with dedication and the right foundation, you can build a successful day trading career. Whether that is full time or like me, part-time.
I’ve pulled together this guide, we’ll outline the seven essential steps you should take before you start day trading, organised into a 40-day plan.
Day 1–5: Understand the Basics
Day 1: Define Your Goals
Before you dive into day trading, clarify your objectives. Are you looking for a full-time career or a part-time income source? Understanding your goals will shape your approach to trading. Manage your expectations. You are not going to make a million in a year.
Day 2–5: Learn Market Fundamentals
Spend these days studying the stock market. Understand concepts like liquidity, market orders, limit orders, and different asset classes (stocks, forex, options). Use resources like online courses, books, and webinars to get a solid grasp of market dynamics. Youtube is your friend.
Try these 3 channels:
Day 6–15: Technical Analysis and Chart Patterns
Day 6–8: Candlestick Patterns
Learn about candlestick patterns, a fundamental component of technical analysis. Recognising patterns like doji, hammer, and engulfing can help you make better trading decisions.
You can get free charts online that show you the most common patterns.
Day 9–12: Support and Resistance
Dive into support and resistance levels, essential for identifying entry and exit points. Practice drawing these levels on real charts.
This is the bread and butter of day trading.
Day 13–15: Moving Averages
Study different types of moving averages, such as simple and exponential. Discover how they help you identify trends and potential reversals in a stock’s price.
Day 16–25: Risk Management
Day 16–19: Position Sizing
Learn about position sizing and risk management. Understand how to determine the number of shares to trade while protecting your capital.
There are free calculators online to help you work this out.
Day 20–22: Stop Loss Orders
Master the use of stop-loss orders to limit potential losses and protect your trading account.
No stop loss = no account (for long)
Day 23–25: Risk-Reward Ratio
Study the importance of maintaining a favorable risk-reward ratio in your trades. A positive ratio ensures that your gains can offset your losses over time.
Don’t be that person who shoots for the 1:20, your win rate will be 3%.
I always aim for 1:1.15
Day 26–30: Trading Psychology
Day 26–28: Emotions and Discipline
Recognise the emotional challenges of day trading. Learn to control fear, greed, and impatience, and practice discipline in your trades.
It’s hard not to get emotional when you lose money. Teach yourself not to.
Day 29–30: Develop a Trading Plan
Create a comprehensive trading plan that outlines your strategies, goals, risk management rules, and trading hours. This plan will serve as your roadmap.
No plan, no direction. Every successful trader has a plan.
Day 31–40: Practice and Simulate
Day 31–35: Paper Trading
Start paper trading, which involves making simulated trades without real money. Use trading software to practice your strategies and develop confidence.
Use the paper trading section on TradingView or open a demo account in MT5
Day 36–38: Analyze and Adjust
Review your paper trading results, assess your strategies, and make adjustments. Identifying what works and what doesn’t is crucial for improvement.
Day 39–40: Start with Real Capital
After weeks of preparation, it’s time to start day trading with real capital. Begin small and gradually increase your positions as you gain confidence and experience.
You won’t learn until real money is on the table. Don’t rush into this step until the very end of this process.
Continuous Learning
Remember that day trading is a continuous learning process. Stay updated with market news, new trading techniques, and evolving strategies. Join trading communities, read books, and watch webinars to enhance your knowledge.
Final words of caution: Day trading involves substantial risk, and many traders experience losses. Like me, you will most likely blow your first account so don’t invest too much in the beginning.
It’s essential to be aware of these risks and trade responsibly. Only invest money you can afford to lose.
Starting day trading in 40 days is ambitious, but with dedication and a solid foundation, it’s possible. Always prioritise learning and risk management to increase your chances of success in this dynamic and challenging field.
