One of the biggest mistakes retail traders make is believing their strategy is “broken” just because it doesn’t work in every market condition.
But here’s the truth:
No single strategy works everywhere.
Every strategy has an environment where it performs best.
Professional traders don’t switch systems, they understand environments.
A great trader once told me that “everything works, some of the time”. That comment sits with me to this day.
Every Strategy Has a Home
A strategy is a tool. And tools are only effective when used for the right job.
Trend-following works when markets are clean and directional.
Mean reversion works when markets are range-bound.
Breakout trading works during high volatility and news cycles.
But most retail traders try to use one strategy for every market. That’s like using a screwdriver to hammer nails.
The strategy isn’t bad, you’re just using it in the wrong environment.
Your Goal as a Trader
Your goal isn’t to find a “holy grail.” It’s to understand that your strategy works best in specific market conditions and your job is to wait for those conditions to appear.
When you stop forcing a strategy into environments it wasn’t built for, everything changes. You avoid chop, emotional trades, forced entries, and revenge moments. You trade less but win more. Your results become cleaner, calmer, and more consistent.
The real shift happens when you stop asking, “Why doesn’t this work anymore?” and start recognising, “This is the environment my strategy was designed for.”