The first objective should not be making money.
A few things I am learning, just writing them down to remember :
Stay alive. Trade small. Have low expectations. Limit your losses.
Trust in chaos ! By definition chaos is a nonlinear order. Prices follow a nonlinear order and tend to stay within defined channels or trading ranges. When they raise above or below the range they enter in an area of disorder. Big money can be made when you learn to spot the limits of chaos.
Trade with the trend. Trends might last many months. Keep an eye on your chart following your trading rules, believe in charts not the talking heads, facts not opinions.
Avoid undercapitalization. If you do not have enough money do NOT trade, period.
HOW TO FAIL, trade with: Lack of money management. Lack of a well defined trading plan. Inability to pull the trigger. Inability to admit you are wrong. Reasons that have nothing to do with trading, such as thrill and hope to make quick money.