How to Find Time for Trading When You’re Always Busy - My 5 Steps Playbook

Let’s face it.

Life is hectic when you’re working a 9-5.

Deadlines, meetings, commutes—your schedule feels packed before you even consider adding trading into the mix. But here’s the reality: if you’re serious about breaking free from the grind, you need to make time. Not “find” it—make it.

Successful 9-5 traders don’t have more hours in the day than you. They’ve simply learned how to prioritize, optimize, and execute. Let me show you how to do the same.

Step 1: Audit Your Day

Start by analyzing how you spend your time. Be brutally honest.

• How much time do you spend scrolling through social media?

• Do you binge Netflix to unwind but end up losing three hours?

• Are you running errands during peak hours instead of batching them?

Here’s an example: One of my students, Lisa, was a busy project manager. She claimed she had “zero free time” to trade. But after auditing her schedule, she realized she was wasting 90 minutes every evening on TikTok. She swapped that for trading education and planning her trades. Two months later, Lisa was earning an extra $800 a month through swing trading.

The truth? You probably have more time than you think—you’re just not using it wisely.

Step 2: Time Block for Success

Time blocking is a game-changer. Allocate specific chunks of your day for trading-related tasks.

• Morning (30 mins): Review market news and set alerts for key trades.

• Lunch Break (15 mins): Check charts and confirm your setups.

• Evening (30 mins): Evaluate your trades and prep for the next day.

The secret is consistency. Even 1-2 hours a day, focused and intentional, can create significant results over time.

Step 3: Automate What You Can

You don’t have to sit in front of a screen all day to be a successful trader. Automation tools are your best friend.

• Trading Bots: Use bots to execute trades when your criteria are met.

• Alerts: Set price alerts on your trading platform or phone.

• Pre-Planned Orders: Schedule limit and stop-loss orders to minimize active monitoring.

Automation removes emotion and lets you stay productive at work while your trades work for you. Imagine this: You’re in a Zoom meeting, and your pre-set alert triggers a trade that nets you $250. That’s smart trading.

Step 4: Cut Out Non-Essentials

This is where discipline separates dreamers from doers. Stop making excuses and eliminate distractions.

• Cut back on activities that don’t serve your goals.

• Learn to say “no” to commitments that drain your energy.

• Streamline tasks—batch cooking, online grocery shopping, etc.—to free up time.

Step 5: Embrace the Compound Effect

Every small effort you make adds up. An hour a day might seem insignificant, but over weeks and months, it becomes a life-changing habit.

Think about it: If you spend just 10 hours a week trading, that’s over 500 hours a year. Do you really think you can’t master swing trading with that kind of time investment?

Here’s Your Challenge

Start small. Block out 30 minutes today to review your schedule. Identify your time-wasters and replace them with productive habits. Commit to trading consistently—even if it’s just an hour a day.

Don’t wait for the “perfect time.” There’s no such thing. The difference between success and failure is taking action now.

Ready to Build Your Trading System?

If you’re serious about creating financial freedom, I’ve built a community just for traders like you—those who are ready to break free from the 9-5 but feel overwhelmed by time constraints.

Join the 9-5 Traders Community today and get:

• Proven strategies to trade while you work.

• Real-world examples from traders who’ve been where you are.

• A supportive community that keeps you accountable.

Join us and start taking control of your time and money.

Victor