“Success in trading is a journey, not a destination”

The trader's path is not a path to easy and quick profits. If you want to be successful, you must realise that trading is a path of constant learning, education and improvement of your skills, and a path of personal development and finding the positive side of yourself. How do our new FTMO Traders Kenan, Muhammad, Van Dat and Jean approach the trader's journey?

Trader Kenan: “Risk management is the cornerstone of my trading strategy.”

What inspires you to pursue trading?

What drives me to pursue trading is the chance it offers for financial independence and the mental stimulation it provides. I find the intricacies of the financial markets captivating, and I enjoy the ongoing process of learning and adapting necessary for success.

What does your risk management plan look like?

Risk management is the cornerstone of my trading strategy. I ensure that I never risk more than a small percentage of my capital on any single trade, and I use Stop Loss orders to limit potential losses. If not, I'm always on the chart, carefully monitoring market movements and manually closing trades. Additionally, I diversify my trades across different instruments and markets to spread risk.

How would you rate your experience with FTMO?

9/10.

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

The most difficult part of my FTMO Challenge or Verification was maintaining discipline during drawdowns or market volatility. To overcome it, I focused on adhering to my trading plan and risk management strategy, reminding myself that losses are inherent in trading. I also utilized journaling and trade review to identify areas for improvement. By staying committed to my strategy and continuously learning, I navigated the challenges and succeeded.

What was the hardest obstacle on your trading journey?

The hardest obstacle on my trading journey has been mastering my emotions, particularly during periods of significant market volatility or when facing losses. Overcoming this obstacle required developing a disciplined mindset and implementing effective risk management strategies. Additionally, ongoing self-reflection, learning, and seeking mentorship have been crucial in navigating through challenging times and ultimately improving my trading performance.

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

Stay disciplined, stick to your trading plan, and focus on continuous improvement rather than short-term results. Embrace both wins and losses as opportunities for growth, and never stop learning from your experiences. Success in trading is a journey, not a destination, so stay committed and patient.

Trader Muhammad: “Staying disciplined and not overtrading was tougher than I anticipated.”

What was more difficult than expected during your FTMO Challenge or Verification?

The most difficult part of the FTMO Challenge and Verification was managing emotions and sticking to the trading plan, especially during losing streaks. Staying disciplined and not overtrading was tougher than I anticipated.

Has your psychology ever affected your trading plan?

Yes, psychology has definitely affected my trading plan at times. Emotions like fear and greed can lead to impulsive decisions, deviating from the plan. It takes consistent effort to maintain discipline and follow the strategy.

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

The most difficult part during the FTMO Challenge and Verification was handling drawdowns without losing confidence. I overcame it by focusing on risk management, sticking to my trading plan, and reminding myself that drawdowns are a normal part of trading. Regular breaks and mindfulness exercises also helped maintain emotional balance.

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

Yes, I plan to use the payouts from my current funded account to take another FTMO Challenge and manage even bigger capital.

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

Passing the FTMO Challenge and Verification has significantly changed my life by providing financial stability, boosting my confidence in trading, and allowing me to focus on trading full-time. It has opened up opportunities for further growth and investment in my trading career.

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

Stay disciplined, follow your trading plan, and manage your risk carefully. Focus on the process, not just the outcome, and don't let emotions drive your decisions. Consistency and patience are key to success.

Trader Van Dat: “Losses in trading are unavoidable.”

What was the hardest obstacle on your trading journey?

When switching between trading sessions, the price line will encounter large unplanned fluctuations and changes. Similarly, with economic news. However, I will overcome this by not trading news.

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

Losses in trading are unavoidable. But we will have the strength to only lose within the plan, have a Stop Loss in advance and be completely comfortable.

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

We have at least 3 conditions in trading to eliminate the factors of emotion, luck, and noise.

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

The most difficult thing is when we create fixed goals for ourselves without taking action to achieve them. Something like: Set a requirement for how much profit a running order must reach before stopping. Or at what time will we achieve the planned profit? Sometimes the target is right, but in the market, there are always certain variables and timing. We need to observe the market to change profits accordingly when the market is slow, and news is about to come and make profits again when the market goes well.

What inspires you to pursue trading?

A job is like breathing, the heart beats, and the brain needs to think. I am quite lucky because I have studied marketing and analysis methodically and have not got confused.

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

You need to understand the financial market in the most general way, don't just care about techniques and profits. That will help you pursue it for a long time and develop yourself.

Trader Jean: “Don’t chase to pass it in 4 days ”

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

Not to be greedy on losses and chase a trade after a loss, set daily targets, and after it’s been met be happy with what you made and take it on the next day again, which gives you time to analyze for upcoming day. Stay out of high volatility trades CPI, NFP etc. Discipline yourself to have confidence in a trade placed and not having a get rich quick mindset.

What inspires you to pursue trading?

It’s a hobby that I have over the past few years learned and got my full attention into it. First step in my opinion was to grow my account and have consistent building, managed my discipline with a 20dollar account which I took to 480dollar in a period. It’s not how big your trade is, but to grow yourself.

What was the hardest obstacle on your trading journey?

Days that I stay out of the market because the market doesn’t have a clear direction.

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

My plan would still be to analyze daily and keep in mind that I have a daily to meet. Focus on the market and stay out of news events, strictly disciplined.

What was more difficult than expected during your FTMO Challenge or Verification?

To get used to bigger lot sizes and having to adjust myself to keep in a trade even though it will have bigger drawdown then what I’m used to.

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

Don’t chase to pass it in 4 days, give yourself some time to recap and start small. Growing small every day will give fruitful results, patience is key. It’s okay to lose as long as your winnings overrule your losses.