Last year I attended a local trading seminar. The speaker was entertaining, the room was full, and the audience seemed convinced by everything he said. I was enjoying it too — some of it was genuinely useful — and at least there were free snacks. That counts for something.
At the end of the session he announced he was selling a course. I had no problem with that. But then he said something I have heard repeated constantly on social media, and in my opinion it is complete nonsense.
"By the end of this course, you will be able to make at least $50 every day."
I remember sitting there thinking — how is that even possible?
The Problem With "Every Day"
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you have a strategy with a 100% win rate. What is the guarantee that your setup will form every single day? What is the guarantee that everything aligns exactly as you need it to?
Think about what has to go right at the same time. Spreads change. News events shift market behavior. Volatility expands and contracts. Sometimes price simply never reaches your area of interest. A perfect strategy still needs a perfect setup — and perfect setups do not appear on demand just because you need $50 today.
It is not possible. Not consistently. Not in any market.
What I believe is genuinely difficult — arguably close to impossible — is finding a good trade every day. One that actually follows your plan, respects your rules, and meets every condition. Those days when nothing forms are some of the toughest days in trading. Not because the market is hard, but because the silence makes you feel like you are not working hard enough. And that feeling, as I have written about before, is exactly what pushes traders to take setups that were never really there.
What To Actually Do on Those Days
Close the charts.
Once you have accepted there is no trade today, the next question becomes: what should you do instead?
Spend time with your family. See your friends. Go outside. And if your communication skills have suffered because of trading — which is more common than people admit — use that time to work on them. Not as a formal exercise. Just by being around people. Play a game. Have a conversation. Be present somewhere that is not a screen.
I say this from experience.
When I first started trading, I cut most people out of my life. I stopped going to family gatherings and social events. Not because I did not want to be there — I did. But I told myself I would go once I had made enough money. Once I had something to show. I convinced myself there would always be another gathering. That success would still be there when I came back.
That moment never came. And the gatherings I skipped are gone.
No amount of money brings back a moment that has already passed. I learned that slowly and I wish I had learned it sooner.
The Honest Lesson
Do not fall for the idea that good traders find trades every day. They do not. The ones who last are the ones who are comfortable doing nothing when nothing is there.
Patience is not inaction. Sometimes patience is the trade.
Next time you cannot find a setup, do not force one. Close the charts without guilt. If your setup is not there today, your only job is to be ready when it is there tomorrow.
Bye for now — take care.
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