“Do not trade every single day”

Having one or more positions open every day does not necessarily mean you will achieve better returns. In fact, the opposite is often true. As our new FTMO Trader puts it, it’s better to save your mental capital for high-probability days. After all, tomorrow is another day — and it might bring much better opportunities in the markets than today.

Trader Lansana: “To be a great trader you must understand yourself.”

What was easier than expected during the FTMO Challenge or Verification?

Having the confidence. Knowing that there is no way for me not to complete the FTMO Challenge and the Evaluation process successfully.

What does your risk management plan look like?

To be honest I didn’t always follow my risk management plan which is 2:1.

What was the hardest obstacle on your trading journey?

Nothing was really hard. It was just understanding certain patterns of thoughts I had which made me feel in a certain way. Out of that emotion I made my decision, and this often happened to me on my real FTMO Account. The Challenges and Verification has never really been that difficult. It’s just the psychology of wanting to make money fast by having a real live account.

How did loss limits affect your trading style?

I don’t really have much to say about this only that it could be frustrating at times.

Has your psychology ever affected your trading plan?

Yes, it has, and I had to identify what part of it did. I realized that I was having certain thoughts about making money quick so I could pay certain bills. It affected a lot of my decisions which I’m now aware of. This is what I love about this whole FTMO journey because I’m not only learning something about the charts and the trades but I’m also learning something about myself. I have realized that to be a great trader you must understand yourself differently because the whole trading success depends upon the person you are which will dictate your success.

What is the number one advice you would give to a new trader?

In my experience I would really recommend and say you should pay money and trade on a real FTMO Account so you can learn how to really trade. Because in my experience yes you could trade on a demo account (Free Trial) but the psychological part of it won’t affect you as much as a real FTMO Account. I think that knowing how to read the chart is important but not as important as discovering your own psychological world which is going to dictate how you’re going to behave in making trading decisions. Knowing you could lose your real account changes everything, so I’m discovering this just by trading on a real FTMO Account. You must be willing to invest money into buying accounts so you can learn effectively. Don’t think about the money you’re investing but think about the knowledge, understanding and how ready you will be in the future to be a very successful trader. At least that’s how I personally think.

Trader Sebastian Hoftun: “Don’t care about losing a trade and stay focused on your model.”

How did loss limits affect your trading style?

It affected me kind of better. I noticed that I usually did not care about trading any bad setups of breaking my rules when I was in drawdown since it would really matter more than if I was breakeven or in profit. So, it actually motivated me to follow my plan and stay on track.

What do you think is the most important characteristic/attribute to becoming a profitable trader?

I think the most important characteristic to become a profitable trader comes from inside, psychology. If you know the basics and have a model with risk management, the only thing missing is your mindset when coming into the market.

Do you plan to take another FTMO Challenge to manage even bigger capital?

I definitely plan on taking another FTMO Challenge to manage more capital and scale. I failed my last live funded account and have reflected on what I did wrong and what mindset I went into with that funded and feel more prepared and confident.

Describe your best trade.

The best trade I took was an 8:1 RRR on an eval which matched every aspect of my model and my mindset going into that trade was confident.

What do you think is the key for long term success in trading?

I think the key to long-term success in trading is having that one sided person of you. The person that is disciplined, motivated and understands when and why he should be in that trade vice versa. The person that grows instead of self-sabotaging. You have to demolish yourself into becoming that person full-time.

One piece of advice for people starting the FTMO Challenge now.

Take it slow. Don’t care about losing a trade and stay focused on your model. From my experience too, do not trade every single day. Spare that mental capital for the high probability days.

do not trade every single day. Spare that mental capital for the high probability days.

Trader Robin Christopher: “Mindset and emotional control are equally important as technical skills.”

What does your risk management plan look like?

I strictly risk a maximum of 2% per trade, ideally staying between 1% and 1.5%, depending on setup quality. Every trade is protected by a clearly defined Stop Loss from the start. I only risk capital on confirmed setups following my Structure & Engulfing Method, based on market structure, supply/demand zones, and Fibonacci retracements. After reaching TP1, I secure the position by moving the Stop Loss to break even.

What do you think is the key for long term success in trading?

In my opinion, the key is a combination of discipline, patience, and strict risk management. Avoiding overtrading and focusing only on high-quality setups is essential. Trusting the strategy even after a losing streak and protecting capital before aiming for profits is my approach. Mindset and emotional control are equally important as technical skills.

Has your psychology ever affected your trading plan?

Yes, especially in the early phase of my trading journey. I often forced new trades after losses to „recover“ emotionally, which led to breaking my rules. Today, I manage my emotions through strict discipline: stopping after 2–3 losing trades, journaling every position, and reviewing setups objectively. Recognizing and overcoming emotional trading was one of the most important steps in my development.

Describe your best trade.

My best trade was a long setup on gold, triggered after a clean rejection at a fresh H4 demand zone. The market had just completed a liquidity sweep below a previous low and reacted sharply at the demand zone. Immediately after that, a clear bullish engulfing candle formed, which confirmed potential strength. I waited patiently for a retracement – and as expected, price pulled back perfectly to the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the engulfing candle’s body. There, I placed a buy limit order. What made this trade stand out was the volume spike I noticed during the pullback. This sudden increase in volume confirmed that institutional buyers were likely stepping in, giving me extra confidence in the setup. After entering, the price reacted immediately and moved strongly upwards. My TP1 was hit quickly, followed by TP2, and finally, the price reached TP3 – hitting the next significant supply zone where I closed the entire position. At that point, my trade idea was fully completed, exactly as planned. This trade followed my plan perfectly: Reaction at fresh demand zone; Liquidity sweep; Fibonacci retracement entry; Clear engulfing candle; Volume confirmation; Full completion of my trade idea at TP3.

How does passing the FTMO Challenge and Verification change your life?

Passing the challenge and verification gave me the confidence to treat trading as a serious profession. I realized that discipline, structure, and patience lead to consistent results – not luck. Managing funded capital now motivates me to stay consistent and continuously refine my system.

What would you like to say to other traders that are attempting the FTMO Challenge?

Focus on your risk management and discipline, not on chasing fast profits. Stick to your rules, respect your Stop Loss, and avoid emotional trading. Treat the challenge as a process to prove your consistency – not as a race to win. Less is more: Trade only the clearest setups and trust your method.