#数字资产市场动态 Why do some people watch the market all day but perform worse than those who only look at the 4-hour chart?

It’s quite painful to admit — staying up late every night watching the candlesticks, only to see your account shrink in the end. The problem might not be your technical skills at all, but rather the chaos and disorganization of your entire trading system.

**That one hour before the market opens is actually the decisive moment**

Professional traders don’t start their day by frantically looking at charts. Their first step is to scan information and set up a framework.

Within ten minutes, they review overnight policies, global market fluctuations, and relevant position announcements — you need to be the master of information, not a junk info receiver. Then, write down today’s trading logic in black and white: "What signals are valid for buying? How low must it drop before I cut? At what point should I run if it rises?" Post it next to your screen.

What about retail traders? They open their eyes and start scrolling through candlesticks, and their mood crashes the moment the opening price jumps.

**The truth during trading hours: fewer orders, more observation**

There’s a misconception here: professional traders might only be actively trading for 1-2 hours a day, the rest of the time is spent watching, waiting, and thinking.

Don’t rush to act within the first 30 minutes after the market opens. Observe the market’s temperament. Only when a clear signal is triggered should you move your mouse; otherwise, enjoy some tea and watch the show. The most important thing — refuse to impulsively add positions, refuse FOMO chasing highs, and keep each trade’s loss within 2% of your total capital.

Retail traders’ daily routine: they press buy or sell at every candlestick jump, and by the end of the day, the trading fees alone might not even cover their costs.

**The real battlefield is after the market closes**

The true skill of professionals is demonstrated after the market closes:

Review every trade — why did I choose this target? Was it executed according to plan? Did emotions take over the brain? (For example, "I chased high because someone in the group was shouting," mark this in red and remind yourself next time).

Scenario analysis of extreme market conditions is also crucial. Imagine if a black swan event happens again — can your current holdings withstand it? Mentally rehearse the process of cutting losses so you won’t be panicked when that day comes.

Then, record weekly data in a spreadsheet — what’s your win rate, risk-reward ratio, maximum drawdown in points — these numbers will keep your luck in check.

Retail traders? They turn off the software and watch short videos, repeating yesterday’s cycle the next day.

**Practical framework, starting tomorrow**

• Allocate 15 minutes in the morning to list the targets to watch today (no more than 3), and write down your trading plan;

• Set an alarm during trading hours, ask yourself every 30 minutes: "Am I trading according to plan?";

• Stick to the review at 8 PM every night without fail, note down the "most impulsive trade," and if you find yourself making the same mistake three days in a row, stop trading on the fourth day.

The market isn’t that scary — what’s scary is reacting randomly and fighting against the system’s规律. The dividing line between professional and amateur isn’t about who predicts the market correctly, but whether — you have the ability to turn those boring, tedious disciplines into muscle memory.