After doing intraday trading for six years, many people ask me: "Aren't you best at accurately analyzing the market?" In fact, it's quite the opposite — market analysis only accounts for 10% of trading, and the remaining 90% is all about 'waiting.' What exactly are traders waiting for? It's not about wasting time aimlessly, but rather waiting for the moment when trading advantages are most pronounced. The market is like a swinging balance; sometimes the buying signals are dense (like breaking key moving averages + volume increase), and sometimes the selling signals dominate (like breaking support levels + capital flight). When one side's signals far outnumber the other, the probability of the balance tilting skyrockets — that’s the 'timing to strike' we are waiting for. The collection of these signals is what traders often refer to as 'strategy.' It’s like a strict entry ticket: all conditions must be met (for example, 'BTC holds above the 20-day moving average + ETH rises simultaneously + funding rate is positive') for the win rate to be sufficiently high. Missing even one condition means it’s better to pass. Don’t be a 'follower in the market.' Many people misunderstand trading: they think they need to constantly monitor the market and predict rises and falls, like grabbing discounted vegetables in a market, fearing they’ll miss any fluctuations. However, the market is chaotic 90% of the time — candlestick charts are erratic, and bulls and bears are locked in, just like fishing when the water surface is completely still. Forcing a trade at this time is no different from tossing a coin with your eyes closed. I’ve seen too many people: they analyze perfectly but when it comes to the market, they get anxious and jump in at the slightest movement, only to regret it when their stop-loss is triggered, thinking, 'I shouldn’t have acted just now.' Trading is like fishing: true experts don’t stare at the water’s surface guessing where the fish are; they hold the fishing rod and wait — wait for the moment the fish bites (when the signal appears), then they strike. The essence of trading: using waiting to filter out 90% of ineffective actions. Over time, you’ll find that the core of stable profits is not about 'catching every wave,' but about 'avoiding every trap.' Learn to pull back during chaos and take action during order:
At the market open, observe for 30 minutes; don’t rush to act, let the market 'walk' in its own direction.
Opportunities that don’t fit the strategy, no matter how tempting they rise, should not be touched (for instance, wanting to catch a bottom in a clearly bearish trend).
Be patient and wait for the complete signal; even if there are no opportunities that day, acknowledge it — missing one time isn’t a loss, making a mistake once is the real loss.
When you can resist 10 impulses and only seize 1 certain opportunity, your trading level will naturally rise to a new level.
After all, trading is not about who makes the most moves, but who can hit the target steadily at the crucial moment.
