Hello traders,
This is one of those things nobody tells you early on.
When most people start trading, they treat it like any other job.
You clock in, put in the hours, and expect to get something out of it.
That’s how the world usually works.
But trading? Trading plays by a different set of rules.
It doesn’t care how many hours you’ve been staring at your screen.
It doesn’t hand out rewards just because you’ve “shown up.”
Trading doesn’t pay you for effort.
It pays you for alignment.
And until that clicks, you’re going to be stuck chasing trades that were never yours to begin with.
To figure out why some trades, even good ones, aren’t worth taking, this lesson is for you. It’s where analysis meets discipline, and real edge begins.
But accept this fact first…
Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Most days, you’ll sit down ready to go… and nothing will happen.
No signal. No setup. Just sideways price action or noise.
And that’s when newer traders start to crumble.
They get antsy. They feel like they need to make something happen.
They’ve invested time and now they want a return.
So they force it.
They click into trades they know aren’t great.
They lower the bar.
They convince themselves it’s “close enough.”
That’s how you blow up an account one bad trade at a time.
If this changes how you trade, don’t miss the setup that ties it all together – built on imbalance, liquidity, and timing ahead of the Fed. It’s pure logic in action.
The best traders have already done their homework.
They’ve mapped out their levels. They know what their A+ setup looks like.
So when the right conditions come together, they’re ready.
When the moment’s right, the trade calls them in.
There’s almost no decision to make. It’s obvious.
They’re not trading because they’re bored.
They’re not trying to make up for lost time.
They’re trading because the setup is so clean, so aligned, it’s basically begging to be taken.
That’s the work.
And yeah, it can be brutal.
There’s no applause for sitting on your hands.
No dopamine rush. No instant feedback.
But that’s what separates the pros from the hopefuls.
The best trades don’t come from hustle.
They come from waiting with discipline until the market gives you something worth acting on.
So if you’re in this game for real, ask yourself:
Are you chasing trades?
Or are you ready when they come to you?
See you in the next one.
Imre Gams
Editor, The Trading Room
