Market conditions change rapidly, and this is a consensus among all traders.

Recently, you can see the signs—short-term traders are thriving, and their profit rhythm is good. But what about friends who trade breakouts? They have been worn down quite a bit. Interestingly, even in the most difficult markets, some are making money, and in the easiest markets, some are losing. What's the difference? It lies in whether you have your own trading strategy.

This is the core. If your strategy is naturally suited for ranging markets, then range-bound conditions become your cash cow; but once the market enters a trending mode, losing money becomes normal. The reverse is also true—trend traders can only suffer losses during consolidations. No single strategy can handle all market conditions, which is why losses are essentially a necessary part of trading.

Here's a practical example: suppose you are a breakout trader. Throughout a year of 12 months, genuine breakout opportunities might only occur in 3 months. Your annual profit comes from these 3 months, while the other 9 months you either hold cash and wait or try small trades. This is not a failure; it’s about trading according to your own approach and taking the market’s current opportunities.

Therefore, the essence of trading is not to make money every day, but to identify your advantageous areas, patiently wait for the market to present suitable opportunities, and then execute decisively.