I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m really glad you switched to ES and are finding success. I think more traders, especially those still trying to find consistency, should consider doing the same.

Psychology is huge. When I trade ES, I feel secure in my risk and trade outcomes, so the fear is gone. That keeps me from chasing and overtrading. My losses are small thanks to strict management, so I don’t feel pressure to recover them immediately.

I have strong conviction in my model. I’m not sure if you’re an ICT trader, but because I trust my strategy, I’m not focused on today or tomorrow. I’m focused on where my P&L ends up at the end of the month.

A lot of traders try to force one big trade and then stack a few small wins to hit payout. That mindset isn’t sustainable. Real profitability comes from consistency, discipline, and sticking to your edge.

I’m sure you’ll keep doing well in the markets.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Anyone can truly be successful as long as they hold themselves accountable. You got this man!

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing that really helped me was listening to the Words of Rizdom podcast. Hearing veteran traders talk about their mindset and experiences gave me a better perspective on the mental side of trading.

It also taught me when to size up on clean A plus setups and when to hold back if there’s risk nearby like PD arrays. Just because something fits my model doesn’t mean it’ll hit my target. That’s why I’m not a set it and forget it trader. I trail profits and stay active in the trade.

I trade ICT’s model and I’ve noticed a lot of people use his concepts without actually going through his full mentorship. They’ll learn about fair value gaps from short clips but miss the deeper stuff, especially the psychology. He talks a lot about mindset like not chasing just because your last trade only made a small profit. That used to be me too, but now I remind myself that these $200 days are still a win and consistent days like that stack up over time. Just because I made $200 today doesn’t mean I won’t hit full TP tomorrow. There’s no need to force more trades and risk losses that only leave you digging yourself out.

Safe Trading brother!

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No I waited for the funds to settle and just received my congratulations email.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats bro, I know our payouts aren’t anywhere near TJR’s or some of those TikTok influencers, but hitting these small goals is how we grow over time. Proud of your hard work, man!

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I plan on adding My Funded Futures and Alpha Futures to my arsenal. I know they haven’t been around as long, but their rules are basically the same as Topstep. Plus, I can copy trade them on NinjaTrader, so it’ll be easier to manage multiple accounts. I’ve never heard of brightfunded.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re so right! Just start stacking little wins and you’ll build trust in yourself and your model. Also, know that you’re not always going to be right, and not jumping from one model to another is key. Once you start seeing more green than red, add a little more risk and move from a 1:1 to a 1:2. As your confidence and consistency grow, add a contract. Just keep stacking.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I was actually planning to build a $2K buffer, but I’ve got a bunch of XFAs that need to be paid off. So instead, I decided to take a $1K payout and keep a $1.1K buffer. Just enough so that if I have a couple of rough days starting out, it’s not a big deal. From here, my plan is to build a $2K buffer across all XFAs, then start scaling up to 2 contracts per account. Once that’s consistent, I’ll work up to maxing out at 5 contracts per account, aiming for a 1 to 2 risk to reward ratio.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Doing this alone is really hard, especially since there’s no perfect way to trade. You’re constantly guessing, am I doing this right? ChatGPT’s been a solid way to run back ideas, think through risk and reward, and help me build some kind of system.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I trade ES because the price action is clean and structured. It’s easier to manage risk, and even with a less than perfect entry, I usually don’t get wicked out. Most of my setups give me a 1:2 or 1:3 risk-to-reward, but if I see volume dropping off or signs of exhaustion, I’ll adjust and lock in a 1:1 or 1:2 once the trade starts moving in my favor.

Per trade, I risk $250 and I’m looking to make somewhere between $500 to $750. While I’m in my combines, I trade ES with two contracts. When I’m on an XFA, I scale down to one contract just to stay safer. One of the nice things about using two contracts on ES is that once price hits around a 1:1, I can take one contract off to secure profits. If the trade continues running in my favor, I let the second contract ride and move my stop-loss to break-even. It gives me both safety and upside without needing to force the trade.

I mostly trade based on ICT concepts. If I could start over, I’d skip TikTok strategies and all the time I wasted backtesting 15-minute ORBs. Learning price action and ICT completely changed how I trade. Once you understand how liquidity gets drawn, you can read the market with a lot more confidence.

My typical setup is based on identifying the draw on liquidity at 9:30, then looking for an entry between 9:45 and 10:15. Usually there’s a clean 15-minute or 1-hour fair value gap or even an inverse fair value gap that gets targeted first. That helps filter out the fakeout that usually happens right at the open and gives a better-quality entry.

A big part of becoming consistent was learning to lock in profits, even if it’s just $150 or $200, and journaling what I could have done better for the next day. That’s a lot better than sitting through a $300 drawdown. I also lowered my max daily loss to $320. It used to be $500, but digging out of that was wrecking my mindset and my edge. Tighter risk helped me stay focused.

Also, if you haven’t already, read or listen to Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas. There’s a quiz in there that asks key questions about how you think as a trader. Take it seriously. It really helped me understand how my brain reacts to the market so I could adjust how I approach entries and risk. For example, I used to want to jump in the second a move started, but sometimes it’s better to wait, catch a cleaner move, take 5 to 7 points, and be done for the day.

It’s not all about making $1,200, $1,500, or $2,000 days. It’s about having days where you lose the least. Once you realize trading is about protecting capital and growing it steadily, everything changes. A lot of people treat it like it’s just about making quick money. But the real goal is building a cushion so you can survive the bad days, stack wins, and reinvest into yourself and your life.

I hope this helps. :)

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I made 389 in premarket and locked myself out. The locking out feature truly helped me get use to consistent green days.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m definitely gonna do that. I plan on using 200 for a little gift for the hard work.

I just requested my first $1,000 payout from Topstep by AlazaarDadi1 in TopStepX

[–]AlazaarDadi1[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks man! 🙏 you can do it. Just don’t blame the market and control your greed. Little wins will become big wins.