Before trading, ask yourselves why you are in the stock or futures market? To make profit? To have excitement from trading? To trade for the sake of trading just because you are trading full time?

I would say the ONLY reason to trade is to MAKE MONEY. And the best time to make money is when the general market trend is clear. When the the trend is unclear i.e., sideways, there is not much to be made. If the trend later becomes clear, whether up or down, traders might get trapped if they bet on the wrong direction.

Patience is the key to a successful trading. When the market is unclear, traders should take the opportunity to research on stocks so that when the time comes, they will not miss the opportunity. If the trend is clear, coupled with picking the right stocks, a few trades a year is good enough to cover the whole year's good performance!