I Said I’d Win the War — Here’s What Happened Next
- Pedro Paris
- Apr 26
- 3 min read
From Losing a Prop Firm Challenge to Securing $200,000 in Funded Capital
Not long ago, I wrote about losing a prop firm challenge when I was just 2.5% away from passing.
It was one of those moments that stays with you.
Close enough to see it.
Close enough to feel it.
Close enough to lose it.
If you read that piece, you’ll know it wasn’t just about the loss — it was about perspective.
This is what happened next.
The Outcome Changed — The Process Didn’t
Since that moment, I’ve gone on to pass not one — but two prop firm challenges.
That’s $200,000 in funded capital.
But here’s the important part:
The strategy didn’t change.
The indicators didn’t change.
The market didn’t change.
What changed was execution.
The Real Shift: Clarity Over Complexity
After that loss, I realised something simple.
I didn’t need more information.
I needed clarity.
So I made a decision that most traders don’t take seriously enough.
I changed my environment.
I went to Costa Del Sol in Andalusia, Southern Spain
Not to escape trading —
but to remove everything that interferes with it.
There’s something about being by the sea.
The calm.
The rhythm.
The space to think without noise.
For me, that environment brings a level of clarity and mindfulness that’s difficult to replicate elsewhere.
Some traders may find that in forests.
Others in the mountains.
Some even in the energy of a city skyline.
But for me, it’s the sea.
Watching the sunset.
Being near the boats
Stepping away from the charts.
Letting the mind reset.
That’s where the clarity comes from.
Many of the biggest improvements in trading don’t come from new strategies, but from clarity in execution — something we explore regularly in Trader Updates & Market Insight, where the focus is on structured thinking rather than reactive decisions.
A Different Way of Trading
From that point, everything became simpler.
Every day had the same rhythm:
Wake up.
Open the charts.
Follow price.
No noise.
No distractions.
No over-analysis.
Just flow.
What I Did Differently
There was no breakthrough system.
Just disciplined execution.
1️⃣ I worked calmly, with belief in my strategy
2️⃣ I kept my lot size consistent
3️⃣ I stuck to the same strategy across all trades
4️⃣ I focused on one symbol only — Gold
5️⃣ I avoided overtrading completely
The Results
The difference was immediate.
FTMO Challenge (10%)
93.48% win rate
Passed in 12 days
FTMO Verification (5%)
91.67% win rate
Passed in 7 days
And alongside that:
$100,000 funded with FXIFY
No rush.
No forcing trades.
No chasing the market.
Just execution.
The Most Important Rule
This changed everything.
On days where I lost more than expected…
I stopped.
Closed the charts.
Closed the laptop.
Walked away.
No revenge trading.
No trying to recover.
I reset.
The next day, I came back clear.
What Most Traders Get Wrong
When things go wrong, the instinct is to push harder.
Trade more.
Fix it quickly.
Force the outcome.
But trading doesn’t reward force.
It rewards alignment.
And sometimes the best trade you can make…
Is no trade at all.
From Battle to War
That loss I wrote about?
It wasn’t failure.
It was feedback.
Because trading is a constant battle.
Markets change.
Volatility tests you.
Conditions shift.
But the goal was never to win every battle.
The goal was always to win the war.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in a phase where trading isn’t working:
Take a step back.
Change your environment.
Reduce the noise.
Simplify your process.
Most importantly:
Don’t fight the market.
Flow with it.
Because the difference between losing and winning is rarely the strategy.
It’s clarity.
— Pedro Paris
Founder, Candlester
Pedro Paris writes on macro markets, capital allocation and disciplined trading frameworks.
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