"Don't lose hope, don't panic, just do what you always did"

It is true that every trader must have some respect for the markets and overconfidence can be detrimental, but fear and panic behaviour are not part of trading. Working with your emotions and being patient is a basic thing that our FTMO Traders Robbe, Brian, Trevas and Bulind are also aware of.

Trader Robbe: "Don't rush it to look for the better setups and don't start panic trading."

How would you rate your experience with FTMO?

I love the fact that you guys are giving freedom even though there are some rules to follow. I did better than expected because of it. After trading I love the fact that you get a full view on the trade you placed.

Describe your best trade.

My best trade was almost 200 pips which I could hold without any doubts. The most controlled ones are always the best ones.

Has your psychology ever affected your trading plan?

I had 2 or 3 days where my psychology was affected by other traders who made me nervous. When you see the finish line it's like an exam you are afraid to pass. When I experienced this, I had to reset and block the world to get back on track. I applied my rules and from there on it went smoothly.

What was the most difficult during your FTMO Challenge or Verification and how did you overcome it?

The fact that you can almost taste victory means you don't need to put more pedal on the metal. Sticking to the plan and staying cool does the trick. Don't lose hope, don't panic, just do what you always did.

How did loss limits affect your trading style?

I reflected on my actions and adapted my risk to reward as well as my stop loss target. I went from +1% to -1% trading because it made me more comfortable

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

Don't rush it to look for the better setups and don't start panic trading. Don't forget that the market can't always be giving opportunities. Sometimes it's better to let it cool down so you can be more confident and enter with less fear.

Trader Brian: "Psychology is a big part of the challenge."

Do you have a trading plan in place, and do you follow it strictly?

Yes, I have a trading plan. I usually am patient in the market, waiting for high quality set ups before executing a trade. I am a swing trader that looks for opportunities on the higher time frame (H4, Daily, sometimes Weekly). I try not to deviate from that as every time I do, I get burnt on losing trades. So now after learning my lesson from many losses over the years, I just follow my plan and my plan only.

Where have you learnt about FTMO?

I have seen ads on Instagram and when I saw a few trading mentors promoting FTMO, I knew it was time to jump up on board.

What inspires you to pursue trading?

Time freedom. Financial freedom. My girlfriend is also a big part of it as well as I want to provide for her and our future family.

How did loss limits affect your trading style?

It was great as it emphasised risk management. It didn't affect it a whole lot as I already have a risk management plan in place already.

What does your risk management plan look like?

I usually trade 1% risk of the account balance for the Challenge. In the Verification stage, I usually do 0.5% to 1%.

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

Psychology is a big part of the challenge. Do not take the $100k Challenge if you don't feel confident or if you feel anxious paying that initial fee. Start with an account that you can afford to lose that initial fee without breaking the bank. That will give you more confidence in your trades as you are not second-guessing whether or not you want to get into a trade as you are afraid of losing that initial fee that you paid.

Trader Trevas: "Focus on your own journey, be open to learn and be ready to grow."

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

Yes, my plan is to re-invest the profits that I make from this account and use them to fund other FTMO Challenges. My goal is to create a self-sustaining growth plan on my journey to 300K and more with the 25% Scaling Plan firmly in my sights.

What inspires you to pursue trading?

The freedom that one gets from trading is like nothing else and to be able to trade successfully in a consistently profitable manner is no mean feat and from it I have grown as a person and am excited to grow even more. Who knows what adventures lie ahead for me.

How did you eliminate the factor of luck in your trading?

I have created a trading plan which I have tailor-made to my personality, therefore I am able to get the best out of my trading experience. I do this by having my trading plan focus on two key areas: analysis and management. I split them despite their symbiotic nature to guarantee that I focus on one thing with all my focus at a time. This has helped me greatly to know what to do at what time or instance in the market, of course with discretion since no two trades are the same, I work out a decision based on my trading plan, journal it and at my end of the week review I learn from it so that I improve the overall quality of my trading.

How has passing the FTMO Challenge and Verification changed your life?

It has taken my persistence and perseverance to a whole other level, and this not only in my trading but also in my life as a ripple effect reminding me to always stay focused on my goal and to never ever give up.

What was the most difficult during your FTMO Challenge or Verification and how did you overcome it?

The Challenge was quite straightforward but it's at the Verification where I thought it'd be straightforward but alas, I had a period of constant losses and to make it worse I gave my profit back to the market. This had an effect on my psychology but in the end I am glad that I went through that drawdown period because I learnt what to do when such an occasion happens in the future. The key lesson among the lessons I learnt was from your FTMO videos that whenever I trade 5 times regardless of whether they are wins or losses I ought to stop, take a break before diving back in. I integrated this into my plan and I am glad I did because it helped me see that I was overtrading and going for mediocre setups which ended up eating into my profits. This was an invaluable lesson and when I learnt this, I naturally created a process to refine my setups to work with the highest quality ones. With this lesson profits came flying back and I am really grateful for that video.

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

Take the steps one step at a time, the markets are always going to be there. This challenge is 90 days long and I know it's nice to see other traders on the internet saying how they completed their Challenge with a blink of an eye, but it doesn't matter. Focus on your own journey, be open to learn and be ready to grow.

Trader Bulind: "It's part of the game, losing trades, break-even trades, and winning trades."

How would you rate your experience with FTMO?

It was better than I expected it to be. FTMO is professional and the customer service is great. The Account MetriX and the Client Area is by far the best I have experienced yet. Overall, 10/10 for my experience with FTMO.

How did you manage your emotions when you were in a losing trade?

It's part of the game, losing trades, break-even trades, and winning trades. You need to learn to treat them all the same and not let anything bother you. It is important to have your mindset constantly ready to take new and better trades, you cannot let your emotions bound you.

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

Risk management and capital management. Constantly working towards having less and less risk on the table per trade. Meaning, you want the trade to move into your direction as soon as possible to diminish the risk on the table and to begin trailing your stop. Also, risking the right amount per trade is also very important, you must not over-leverage ever!

What inspires you to pursue trading?

The ability to have a high-income skill and to use it from anywhere in the world, and also have the chance to be financially free.

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

Yes, absolutely! That would be ideal.

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

Manage your risk! Be patient, patience pays. You will have to sit on your hands 75% of the time, the setups will come if you’re patient and it will pay off.