I had the pleasure of enjoying the holiday lights in New York City when I was visiting my mom and sisters about a week ago. We especially enjoyed the Saks Fifth Avenue light show, which is always a popular annual treat.
But there was something I noticed that didn’t quite make sense — and it immediately reminded me of something I want you to watch out for in your trading.
Right in front of the Saks Fifth Avenue display, the sidewalk was packed. And I mean packed — like a can of sardines. The four of us were walking through when we got separated by tourists forcefully making their way toward the curb, trying to get the best view of the lights.
Luckily, we all had our cell phones, so we were able to regroup a few blocks away at a store. Still, the situation stuck with me. I kept thinking: why all the pushing and shoving? There was no real need for it, and it created unsafe conditions — especially with babies in strollers and even pets down at ground level.
Then another thought crossed my mind. Are these tourists really to blame? Or is this just human nature — that we all get drawn toward the same shiny object?
In this case, the shiny object was literal: the Saks Fifth Avenue lights show. And in the process, no one was really thinking about safety or managing the space around them.
That’s when it hit me…
Where are we doing this in our trading?
Where are there places we’re getting attracted to the crowd, the noise, and the intensity — when we don’t actually need to?
Caught Up in Consolidation
One place this herd-like behavior shows up a lot is trading in sideways trends. I talk about this often in live sessions. There’s really no reason to stay in a trade if you realize the market is still going sideways, unless it’s a trade specifically designed to take advantage of that kind of environment, like certain options strategies.
So if you look back on your recent trades — or if you’re doing an annual review right now — ask yourself whether there were moments where you got drawn into the noise. Almost trading like a tourist instead of a seasoned trader. Noise can pull you into trades that don’t actually require your participation.
Fundamental vs Technical Insights
Another place the rushingshows up is with trades driven by fundamental news that’s already been baked into price action. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fundamental analysis is fantastic for deciding what to trade. But technical analysis is really key for knowing when to get in and out.
If you look back on stock trades and realize you had the right idea but your timing was off, there’s a good chance you were reacting to that “sidewalk noise”. Right idea, wrong timing still carries a cost.
Pro Tip: Use Time Alerts
One practical way to avoid all these types of friction in your trading is by using time alerts. For example, if you’re a scalper or a day trader, you don’t need to sit through sideways ranges, choppy volatility, or major news events that create sharp spikes. You can build a checkpoint into your trading that’s based on time, not price.
If you decide ahead of time that a trade needs to work within 5 minutes — and if it doesn’t, you’re out, no questions asked — that creates structure. I’ve seen this built into many of the trading plans I’ve helped 1-minute traders create. It gives them five bars to commit to the decision and then move on.
This idea isn’t just for short-term trading either. It works for swing trades too — your time alert just gets longer. Time-based trade management steps help you step away from unnecessary chaos.
I love the holidays in New York. And I genuinely love the tourists who come and support my home city. But that crowded sidewalk was a good reminder — not just for trading, but for life.
Don’t get sucked into the crowd. Don’t get drawn into the noise. Move through your trading — and your decisions — safely and strategically.
That’s how you stay safe, even when everything around you feels a bit scary.
~ Hima
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