One of the most important qualities that any successful trader should have is a true sense of optimism. When it comes to finding success in today's market, you need to be optimistic about the market and realize there are always opportunities abound, if you are just willing to look for them.
It is important to remember that opportunities may present themselves in different ways. Don't just look for one "type" of opportunity. There may be short term investment options or long-term opportunities in front of you. You just need to know where to look. It doesn't matter if it is a bull market, or a bear market, there are opportunities out there, you just need to be confident, optimistic and willing to look for the opportunities that are out there.
It may not always be easy to find the type of opportunities that you are looking for. So if you are not willing to do the work and put in some research, the don't expect to find the best trades. One of the first and most important things that you can do in order to prepare yourself to find these opportunities is to do your homework. You need to understand the market and you need to understand trends. If you have done the work and know what the market is doing and what it is likely to do next, then you can start spotting potential trade opportunities as they arise.
Trust me when I say that no successful trader ever got to where they are because they gave up, or took breaks thinking there were no opportunities out there. The most successful traders today, whether they are my students or not, are the ones that know there are always opportunities out there. The ones that see difficulties in the market as challenges to find hidden potential and the ones that know no matter what is going on, there is a stock out there that is just what they are looking for.
So while it is important to know if we are in a bull market or a bear market, important to have a set trade strategy and important to have both short term and long term investments, it is also important to know that sometimes you have to do a little digging to find the opportunity you are looking for. There are times when your trading strategy will automatically lead you to the right opportunity, but there are other times, where you will have to roll up your sleeves and do a little work to find the right option. If you are willing to do this, and stay positive that the right trade is out there, then you are on your way to finding the success you have always wanted, no matter what ups and downs the market brings.