Good morning, traders…
Ben here.
As traders, we’re constantly battling the competition. And in different fighting arenas, you need to wear different armor.
The same goes for adjusting your trading aggression (and psychology) based on the month, week, or season.
This comes down to two factors I consider before every trade — seasonality and mindset.
Think of yourself as a boxer. If you’re throwing punches at the wrong time, you’re expending valuable energy that could’ve been deployed in an incredible uppercut at the perfect moment.
Trading is no different. If you’re making trades at the wrong times, you’ll waste precious capital (and opportunity cost) that could’ve been spent on a winning trade.
Legendary boxer Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan: until they get punched in the face.”
But I want to make sure the market doesn’t punch you in the face.
With that in mind, let me show you how focusing on seasonality and mindset has helped me survive over 20 years in the markets — and achieve an 83% win rate in 2024…*
Seasonality: Knowing When to Trade
Every trading system performs better during certain times of the year, and worse during others. This is seasonality at work.
Some periods present perfect opportunities for call options, while others may be ripe for put-trading.
This depends on your strategy. If you have a long bias like me, you’ll likely trade better when the CBOE Volatility Index (INDEXCBOE: VIX) is below $15.
But if you’re short-biased, higher volatility will probably give you more opportunities for gains.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are four or five “windows” each year where the potential for major wins is much higher.
For me, when the broader market is moving higher, I tend to get great follow-through on my call trades.
On the other hand, there are other times when I notice the market conditions aren’t in my favor…
Take August of this year, for example. The market wasn’t moving in any clear direction — it was sluggish, with no major catalysts driving it.
During a month like that, it’s better to be cautious. I didn’t trade as much because the conditions weren’t ideal.
Rather than forcing trades in a low-probability, high-risk environment, I chose to stay on the sidelines and preserve my capital for when the market conditions improved.
That’s the essence of seasonality: knowing when the environment is favorable for your particular trading system — and when it’s better to wait.
Traders who ignore seasonality often find themselves frustrated, chasing trades that aren’t working or losing money by being too aggressive at the wrong time.
By recognizing and respecting these market cycles, I’ve learned when to step on the gas and when to pump the brakes. That patience is crucial for long-term success.
Mindset: Staying Grounded When You’re on a Roll
While considering seasonality is crucial, your mindset is equally important.
I’ve seen countless traders sabotage themselves simply because they let their emotions get the best of them.
And one of the biggest emotional challenges we face is overconfidence, especially after a string of successful trades.
Your first big hurdle will come after you make your next great trade…
It’s natural to feel invincible when you’re on a solid run, and it’s tempting to double down, take bigger risks, and keep chasing the next big win.
But that’s a dangerous trap…
Overconfidence leads to mistakes — rushing into trades without proper analysis, ignoring risk management, or over-leveraging your account.
Here’s how I avoid it…
How to Time Your Aggression
When I’m on a winning streak, I actually slow down. If I hit my weekly profit target, I either stop trading entirely or significantly reduce my position sizes.
Take a look at the returns from my last ten options trades:
67% on DAL*
253% on CCJ*
150% on RKT*
160% on NCLH*
19% on PLTR*
300% on INTC*
168% on GOOGL*
64% on AAPL*
20% on X*
167% on AMZN*
Many traders would feel utterly invincible after 10 big wins in a row.
But not me…
After a run like this, I don’t press my aggression — I get more conservative.
This keeps me grounded and prevents me from making impulsive decisions driven by excitement or greed.
WARNING: It only takes two or three missed trades to lose everything you’ve gained in a week, a month, or even a year.
That’s why I stick to my plan. I don’t trade just because I feel good…
Discipline is the name of the game.
Any time I start to feel like I “can’t lose,” I know it’s time to check myself before I wreck myself. Confidence is great, but overconfidence is a recipe for disaster.
In trading, success isn’t just about charts and fundamentals. It’s about understanding when the market is offering good opportunities and when it’s best to do nothing.
By focusing on these two areas — timing your trades with seasonality and staying grounded with the right mindset — you can avoid costly mistakes and position yourself for consistently big wins.
Before we go, let’s look at:
💰The Biggest Smart-Money Bets of the Day💰
- $14 million bullish bet on TSLA 10/11/2024 $270 puts @ $4.30 avg. (seen on 10/2)
- $6.9 million bullish bet on KWEB 12/20/2024 $46 calls @ $1.64 avg. (seen on 10/2)
- $3.4 million bullish bet on COIN 10/18/2024 $195 calls @ $1.90 avg. (seen on 10/2)
P.S. Jeff Zananiri has developed a brand-new algorithmic trading system, which has already delivered returns of 145% on QCOM, 235% on TECS, and even a staggering 900% on PBR…*
TODAY, October 3 at 1 p.m. EST, Danny Phee is joining Jeff to reveal everything you need to know about his AI-powered GAMMA Code System.
Let AI help you find triple-digit trades — Click here to reserve your spot now!
*Past performance does not indicate future results
