When setting up a trade, your goal shouldn’t just be “Let’s see how much profit I get with this trade.” Instead, you should have a clear, methodical approach to your profit targets. Knowing exactly what you aim to achieve with each trade can make a huge difference in your overall success.

Precise Goal Setting

Define Your Targets: Rather than trading aimlessly, set specific profit targets. For example, if you need $5,000 more profit to pass a challenge, break it down into manageable chunks like targeting $2,500 profit per trade. This method helps you stay focused and motivated.

Trading With Purpose: Each trade should have a purpose. By knowing how much profit you need and how many trades it will take to achieve that goal, you stay disciplined and avoid unnecessary risks.

Methodical Profit Targets

Quantify Your Wins: Having a methodical approach means calculating how many successful trades you need to pass your challenge or reach your profit target. This removes uncertainty and helps you stay on track.

Example Scenario: If you are 5% away from your profit target on a $100,000 account, and you set a target of 2.5% profit per trade, you only need two successful trades to achieve your goal. Suddenly, the 5% profit target seems much more attainable.

Advantage of Targets

Hit and Run: You can actually use prop firm targets to your advantage. It gives you a finish line. When you are trading your own capital there is no goal in site, you are just taking a trade when you think it’s a good setup. With a prop firm, once you hit your target and pass the phase 1, or hit your funded target and are waiting for a payout… you will be out of the market with no more risk of losing.

Benefits of Clear Targets

Ease of Mind: Knowing exactly how many trades you need to succeed can alleviate the stress and uncertainty of the trading process. This clarity can help you maintain emotional control and stick to your trading plan.

Control and Discipline: Understanding your targets keeps you from making impulsive decisions. You are less likely to adjust your stop-losses or close trades early out of fear or greed. This discipline ensures that you let your trades play out as intended.

Enhanced Strategy Execution: Having clear targets helps you stay focused on executing your strategy effectively. You can better evaluate each trade's potential and decide whether it fits within your larger plan.

Conclusion

Knowing your targets is about more than just aiming for profits; it’s about having a structured and methodical approach to your trading. By setting specific, achievable profit targets and understanding the number of trades needed to reach them, you gain better control over your trading process. This clarity and discipline can significantly enhance your chances of success in prop firm challenges.

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Chapter 9 - Risk vs Time

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Chapter 7 - Know the RULES