In late 2022, I signed up for a $100,000 prop firm challenge. Like most traders, I thought I was ready. I had the skills, the backtests, the live trading experience. But what I didn’t expect was how much discipline would matter — and how easily ego could sabotage everything.
Here’s how I passed the challenge in 63 days, the lessons I learned from nearly blowing the account midway, and why patience—not talent—is the real currency in prop trading.
The Setup: $100K Account With Tight Rules
The challenge was simple on paper, like most prop firm evaluations:
- Profit Target: 10%
- Max Daily Loss: 5%
- Max Overall Drawdown: 10%
- Time Limit: Unlimited (but I gave myself 90 days)
- Minimum Trading Days: 10
At first, it felt like I was in full control. But that wouldn’t last long.
Month 1: The Honeymoon Phase
The first few weeks were smooth.
I stuck to my tried-and-tested system:
- Support and resistance rejections
- Clean trendline retests
- 1:2 and 1:3 risk-reward targets
- Mostly GBP/USD and XAU/USD
I was hitting around 70% win rate, risking 1% per trade, and stacking solid gains. I ended Phase 10%
I was confident — maybe too confident.
The Mistake: Changing What Was Working
Once I hit Phase 2, something shifted.
I started thinking:
“I’m this close. Why not speed it up a bit?”
So I increased my lot sizes. I started risking 2–3% per trade on setups that didn’t fully meet my criteria.
I ignored my trading journal. Read more on the importance of journaling https://fnforex1.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=3179&action=edit
I traded during high-impact news — even when I told myself I wouldn’t.
I forced entries just to stay active.
Within two weeks, I was down 3%, with one day flirting dangerously close to the –5% daily limit.
That was the wake-up call.
Lesson: Scaling up your risk doesn’t always scale your progress. Sometimes, it just speeds up your downfall.
The Reset: Back to Basics
I took two days off and reviewed every mistake.
Then I did what I should’ve done from the start:
- Re-read my trading rules
- Reviewed journal entries from Phase 1
- Re-ran backtests to rebuild confidence https://fnforex1.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4009&action=edit
- Dropped my risk per trade back to 0.5%
I also switched to higher timeframe setups, mostly on 4H and Daily charts, to reduce overtrading and increase clarity. No more revenge trades. No more “hope entries.”
Slowly, the account started recovering.
The Recovery: Smart Trading Over Fast Trading
The second month was steady.
Not flashy. Not impressive on social media. But stable.
I won four trades back-to-back on EUR/USD and Gold using confluence zones.
Avoided news days.
Waited for proper confirmations.
Held trades longer.
By day 60, I was at +2%
Then came one clean GBP/USD trend continuation setup. I risked 1% — and walked away with 3% gain. Helping me to complete phase 2 which makes it (5%)
Challenge validated on day 63.
No celebration. Just a deep breath and quiet gratitude. Remember that overconfidence would be an issue So take wins thesame as losses. All the emotions need to be intact , as explained in this article https://fnforex1.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4487&action=edit
Final Stats
- Total Days: 63
- Total Trades: 74
- Win Rate: 64%
- Max Daily Drawdown: –4.8%
- Average Risk per Trade: 0.7%
- Worst Streak: 4 losses in a row
- Best Streak: 6 wins in a row
What Helped Me Pass
1. Backtesting
Before I even signed up, I had run my strategy through years of data using Forex Tester and TradingView bar replay. I knew what setups to expect and how often they worked.
2. A Written Trading Plan
When I deviated, I lost. When I followed it, I won. Simple.
3. Journaling Every Trade
Entry, stop loss logic, emotion before and after — I tracked everything. It helped me stay accountable when the pressure built.
4. Embracing Boring
The trades that helped me pass weren’t dramatic. They were simple support bounces, clean break-and-retests, and high-timeframe continuations.
Internal Link: Learn how to build a winning trading routine
Internal Link: Use our position size calculator
Would I Do It Again?
Honestly, probably not.
I now prefer trading my own capital with no pressure, no rules, and no drawdown limits. But if I had to do it again?
I’d start slower, risk less, and treat the challenge like a marathon, not a sprint.
Final Advice for Anyone Taking a $100K Prop Firm Challenge
- Backtest first
- Risk small
- Respect the rules
- Journal everything
- Trade only high-quality setups
- Don’t change your system mid-way
Passing a prop firm challenge is not about finding the perfect trade. It’s about surviving your own emotions long enough to stay consistent.
And if I could do it — after almost blowing it — so can you.
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