Introduction – The Art of Doing Nothing?
The art of doing nothing is beautiful. Most of the time, we are spiralling back and forth—be it in our day-to-day activities or within the market. We are in constant motion: consuming, thinking, deciphering, and attempting to act. For instance, think about the last time you sat on a couch and did nothing. Usually, we tend to occupy ourselves with something or someone to such an extent that this habit has become normalised. Hence, it feels oddly different—and almost unimaginable—to normalise doing nothing, both in life and within the market.
Speaking of the market, you’re probably aware of the generally accepted disclaimer that states, “90% of market participants lose.” This, in fact, is not surprising. The vast majority lack the crucial elements needed to attain and sustain success in the industry—both technically and psychologically. Why? Because we have not been indoctrinated with the understanding of doing nothing. It is widely accepted that we should constantly do, act, speak, think, and be in motion. This mindset has led us to view the idea of sitting on our hands and waiting as something absurd. Stemming from this collective understanding, we crave constant motion.
However, little does the majority know that success in the market demands a lot of waiting. It is, in fact, true that 90% of the time we simply wait, and 10% of the time we pull the trigger and “push buttons.” After all, decision-making is not about being in constant action. Rather, it means waiting for the right opportunity before taking decisive action—akin to a lion patiently waiting before hunting its prey.
Not Every Day is a Trading Day
Based on years of experience, I can derive a very important takeaway. I can firmly state that the reason why the vast majority fails is due to a lack of understanding across various aspects. One of these aspects concerns the act of sitting on your hands and doing nothing. As mentioned before, a large proportion of traders believe that trading frequently is the key to success. When in reality, those who wait are the ones who succeed.
See, the truth is—not every day is a trading day. Yes, the market moves daily (depending on which market you trade), but that doesn’t mean there are clear trade setups to capitalise on every single day. As a successful trader, you most definitely have your personal edge, criteria, and accumulated experience. Therefore, trades should be executed only when everything aligns in harmony—not whenever your heart feels like trading.
My point is, in the most primitive sense: when there’s something to trade, go ahead and trade. On the contrary, when there are no clear opportunities, be modest enough to do nothing. Log out of your trading portal and sit out.
Experience is King
Have you ever admired those old folks who walk by two people playing chess, glance at the board for a few seconds, and say, “White mates in three”? Have you ever wondered how that comes about? The reality is—none of that is random. Because the old guy probably has immense experience in chess, just a few seconds of observation are enough for him to anticipate what might unfold next. This stems from years of witnessing countless combinations and developing expert intuition—a kind of “sixth sense.”
The same principle applies to trading. I’ve come to the realisation over the past trading years—based on more than half a decade of experience—that trading what you see is the ultimate path to success. Put simply: you look at the chart of a given security, and if there’s an opportunity, you trade. If there are no ripe setups, you wait. This, in turn, is a good practice to learn and sustain the art of doing nothing.
This is where the idea of experience aligns perfectly with the notion of action. After years of accumulating experience and knowledge within the market, you should be clear and precise in recognising when and where to take action.
Learning the Art of Doing Nothing
If you find it hard to refrain from rushing into transactions randomly, develop some sort of mini systematic plan. Let it dictate the conditions under which trade positions should be entered, how they should be managed, when you should avoid trading, how to approach chart analysis, and so forth. Of course, most of these elements come with experience over time and eventually program themselves into our everyday routine. However, to avoid excessive error during the initial phases, it’s vital to establish a personal Code of Conduct and adhere to its principles.
That said, in my humble opinion, the best teacher is trial and error. If you dedicate years of your life to a given craft, you shouldn’t be afraid of failing miserably—so much so that you might feel on the brink of losing yourself and giving up altogether. But know that these setbacks will teach invaluable lessons and build the mental and emotional immunity needed to continue prospering in the realm of financial markets.
With that being said, you will fall into the pit of overtrading, rushing, making irrational decisions, being greedy, and feeling overwhelmed. In such cases, worry not. You will fail many times before you develop and sustain a valid technical and psychological approach. Eventually, you will learn how to sit on your hands and do nothing.
Conclusion – Balancing the Elements
Fear, greed, stress, rush—we have them all. Just like a standard piano has 88 keys, yet you don’t need to use a vast number of them at once to produce a beautiful melody, we are programmed with emotional elements that are best used in a controlled and mindful manner. It’s undoubtedly easy to fall into the pitfall of negative emotions in trading. We can become greedy and crave more, rush into unripe trade setups, or stress over an already executed position, and so on.
In these moments, it’s vital to recognise the importance of long-term vision and—fitting with our theme for the day—and learn the art of doing nothing.
