If you're banking on a bull market simply because history repeats itself or because your wallet desperately needs a win, don't be shocked when the next crash wipes you out—and you end up blaming macro, the Fed, or whoever else. That's the trap.

The real move? Stop relying on cyclical patterns as your only thesis. Get serious about sharpening your analytical edge, especially during sideways markets when most people are dormant. Those quiet periods aren't dead zones—they're your training grounds. Build conviction through data, understand risk management at a cellular level, and learn to read market structure without the emotional noise. When you trade from strategy instead of desperation, the outcome shifts entirely.