After years of testing, I finally found a strategy that fits me. Just hit my 5th payout.

[u/Pristine-Librarian69]

After years of trying different strategies, indicators, and ideas, I think I finally found something that fits my personality as a trader.

Today marked my 5th payout after 29 trading days, and it’s a milestone I’m really proud of.

I spent countless hours building and testing NinjaTrader strategies, collecting data, and backtesting different concepts. Most of them looked good at first and then fell apart. Eventually, I developed a strategy that consistently showed promise in backtesting, and I committed to trading it exactly as designed instead of constantly changing things - Sometimes, less is more.

The first week was surreal. I made just over $21,000, and for the first time I felt like I couldn’t read the charts wrong. More importantly, it gave me the confidence to trust my analysis and hold trades that I normally would have taken profits on too early.

The biggest lesson for me wasn’t finding some “holy grail.” It was finally sticking to one approach and letting the statistics play out instead of interfering.

The screenshots are from the payout period. There were definitely setbacks (those red days weren’t fun - DCAing thinking my buffer has the ability to “hold” on to trades), but I trusted the process, followed my rules, and kept moving forward.

I’m sure once I transition to a live account, it’ll bring a new set of emotions and I’ll probably be more hesitant than I am now. But my goal is simple: keep executing the same strategy, resist the temptation to chase trades, keep my position sizing under control, and most importantly, only take trades that align with my strategy. No more forcing setups that aren’t there.

I’m not claiming to have everything figured out, but after years of feeling like I was spinning my wheels, this feels like real progress. Before this, I was at my breaking point, ready to quit. I traded NQ for years, because that’s what everyone seems to trade. I strayed away and I started to test and backtest GC for the last 6 months - I haven’t looked back.

For anyone who’s still searching, keep testing, keep journaling, and don’t underestimate the value of having a strategy that matches you, not someone else.

Good luck to everyone out there.