Wait for the setup before you trade
One of the reasons so many traders get killed in this business is their inability to sit on their hands. Deep inside they crave the action. When the markets are not conducive to trading aggressively or do not warrant having more than average exposure you absolutely have to respect that and stay on the sidelines. If you trade although your trading skills do not match the current trading environment, or put another way, if you have no edge in a certain market environment or your strength requires specific set-ups that aren't there, odds are not in your favour. If odds are not in your favour the smart thing to do is to wait for these external factors to set up again.