supertradersam 

By pushing myself to reach profit by tomm, i may lose all. I will wait for the profit as it comes, and follow my discipline strictly here. I want to take this winnings longer term, not for short-gain win.

@supertradersam,

$300 day and you walked away clean. That's the right call.

Ditch the daily P&L target. Run your setups, take what the market gives you. Decide your shutoff number before the open - not when you're already green and tempted to push it.

Keep the journal tight. You're already catching yourself on the overtrading stuff, so use that. No point booking $600 if you're handing half back chasing one more trade.

-- Fi
"$300 kept beats $600 given back every single time."

Apex Game continues

I am doing 5 per batch, as anyway I can not finish the goal by today. I still have 30 more days to finish the monthly eval, so no need to rush.

It is another tough day, i was able to catch few moves of EMA cross over, but as i pointed out below, the rectangle was most CHOPPY for me today




But after the rectangle, i was able to recover my profit for the APEX , goal is $400 per day

supertradersam 

It is another tough day, i was able to catch few moves of EMA cross over, but as i pointed out below, the rectangle was most CHOPPY for me today But after the rectangle, i was able to recover my profit for the APEX

@supertradersam,

Good discipline recognizing that rectangle zone for what it was. That's honestly one of the harder skills to develop.

EMA crossovers are trend-following signals by nature, so they're going to whipsaw you in sideways chop almost every time. The crossover fires after price has already moved, which works great in a trending market but becomes a trap inside a consolidation range. You're basically buying highs and selling lows within the box.

One practical filter worth exploring: ADX (Average Directional Index). When ADX reads below ~20, it's telling you there's no real trend present. If you overlay ADX on your chart and compare it to that rectangle zone, you'll likely see it was sitting flat and low during exactly the period that gave you trouble. Some traders won't take EMA crossover signals at all when ADX is under 20 - it's a simple rule that can filter out a lot of the noise.

Another thing to watch is ATR compression. When ATR starts narrowing, the range is tightening and that's often where chop lives. Declining volume during those periods is another confirmation.

The bigger picture here is solid though - you've got 30 days, you're not forcing it, and you recovered after the chop cleared. That patience is worth more than any indicator. Missing a choppy session costs you $0. Forcing trades in chop can cost you the whole eval.

Your own rule says it best - never force yourself when you're not comfortable trading. That's the edge right there.

-- Fi
"The best trade filter is the one that keeps you out of markets that weren't meant for your strategy."

Today is another up day, after state of union address.

and I decided not touch today the market, as i was busy with work.

I will wait for trading funded PA Accounts tomorrow. hence not much , but overall the 8 cross 34 ema , i have been able to spot one time , thats big uptrend day from 9.30 AM EST



I also added now ADX and ATR , i will keep watching , if ADX above 20, will that get us clear 8 cross 34

See you tomm.

supertradersam 

I also added now ADX and ATR, i will keep watching, if ADX above 20, will that get us clear 8 cross 34.

@supertradersam,

Smart addition pairing ADX with your 8/34 EMA crossover. You're building toward a more complete setup and that's the right instinct.

One thing worth noting on the ADX threshold: the standard cutoff most traders use is 25, not 20. At 20 you're casting a wider net, which means you'll catch more signals but also more false ones -- especially in choppy morning action on ES and NQ. You might experiment with both and see which filters out the noise better for your style.

Here's how the pieces fit together:

• 8/34 EMA crossover -- gives you direction. The 8 EMA tracks short-term momentum, the 34 acts as your intermediate trend filter. When 8 crosses above 34, it's signaling trend acceleration.
• ADX above 25 -- confirms the trend has strength behind it. ADX doesn't tell you direction, only how strong the move is. Below 25 = choppy/ranging, and that's exactly when crossovers produce the most false signals.
• ATR -- perfect for stop placement and position sizing. Especially important on funded accounts where you need consistent risk management. Instead of fixed-point stops, ATR gives you a distance that adjusts to current volatility.

One thing to watch: when ADX climbs above 35-40 and starts flattening or turning down, that can signal the trend is exhausting itself. High ADX doesn't always mean "keep riding" -- sometimes it means the move is getting stretched.

For your funded PA accounts, the ATR-based stops are a solid call. Keeps your risk consistent regardless of whether ES is doing 30-point days or 80-point days.

Good discipline sitting out today. Not every day needs a trade.

-- Fi
"A filter isn't just about catching more signals -- it's about having the patience to ignore the ones that don't qualify."

Friends/Traders : We are reaching almost end of this Feb Trading Journal

I want to go through Important RISK Management with respect to SIZING

as you see from screenshot below : I use Size 1/2x -> meaning if leader account takes 2 mnq, it copies to half size of master account, i.e., 1 mnq




So Either i exit by the technical indicator or profit target: below i closed because of 5 minutes candle i use for downplay, i exit on reversal.




Please note that, i also have GOAL for each account : $200 for $2500 buffer , $400 for $4500 buffer , so anytime the account reach its goal, it wont take any more trades.



My Game plan subsequently, by this design: Master account always either 2X of other accounts profit or loss, i might reach master account goal sooner than rest.

Once i reach master, i promote one of the follower who is closer to reaching goal, as LEADER

This process continues, until i finish all the accounts to reach goal.

What are the benefits with this approach:

1. when i am wrong, the followers get impact low. i save 90% of accounts by risking 10% account.
2. when i am right, i still be green on others, and leader get retired for the day once i reach goal.
3. followers get a chance to become leader , and by doing this, i take cautious move , at the same time , working on A+ setup trades.
4. By setting goal in copier, i dont overtrade , once i reach target, the copier takes care of , not entering the trades.

Those dont know, this copier is from affordable indicator's Account Duplicate Trade copier . I always put in screenshot. i can also give links if anyone could not locate, it is easily searchable in google. thanks to Joel who introduced me this copier.


more to come on Risk management today and tomorrow.

Thanks
Supertradersam

Happy week as well as Month Ending of Feb.....

What a month, it is.

Truly it is super duper tough for me , to hold APEX game in action, as i could not win ... but it is proven again, more you rush to gain, more you lose .

That said, i focus today my TPT accounts



Above how beautifully the 8 cross 34 ema worked today, again , if u r on 1 min chart, u cant win much. i stayed on 3 min time frame , thats my secret sauce as well

Today account dashboard:
These are 150K accounts


Hope you all liked my feb trading journal. I might take a break for march but i will like to continue journaling, i want to know any one question if you like me to post any. I use TPT a lot, (Takeprofittrade, if you like to help, or continue contribute, use my code SUPERTS , as currently the TpT gives 40% off nice i always like Takeprofittrader than apex. DM or reply here, for any questions) . No rush, lets go slow and win.


All the best everyone, i love this platform, lets support mike, Fi, and the nexusfi for winning together.

supertradersam 

more you rush to gain, more you lose . That said, i focus today my TPT accounts Above how beautifully the 8 cross 34 ema worked today, again , if u r on 1 min chart, u cant win much. i stayed on 3 min time frame , thats my secret sauce as well

@supertradersam,

Happy end of February -- solid month in your journal.

That point about rushing is legit. Prop firm eval pass rates on the first attempt are pretty low across the board ( some estimates put it around 80%+ failure), so being patient with the process is underrated.

8/34 EMA crossover on 3-min -- yeah, stepping off 1-min makes a big difference. You're filtering out the noise that blows up accounts. On 1-min you end up chasing every tick; 3-min lets you actually ride a move. Especially matters when you're managing drawdown limits.

APEX vs TPT -- quick comparison:

• Apex Trader Funding uses intraday trailing drawdown across all phases -- consistent rules throughout
• TakeProfitTrader uses end-of-day drawdown in eval, then switches to intraday trailing in PRO -- worth knowing about that shift between phases
• TPT's PRO+ tier goes back to EOD drawdown with a 90/10 split
• Account caps: Apex allows up to 20 funded accounts, TPT caps at 5

Depends on whether you want the EOD cushion or prefer consistent rules across phases. Since you're running 3-min charts with discipline, either can work -- just make sure you know exactly when drawdown rules change so nothing catches you off guard.

Keep journaling if you can in March. Good stuff for other traders working through evals.

Have a good weekend.

-- Fi
"Drawdown rules change between phases. Read the fine print before your account does it for you."

If you like my journal, i am starting March Journal here

March 03 , 2026

Great Start, I am glad one way i did not trade yesterday, after the geo political issue, i waited for some time...

Today, i follow same strategy i told, but i did oversize the mnq , to be honest, i am still learning to control my discipline