There are numerous examples of people who quit high-paying jobs to follow their passions. A lawyer may open a café to fulfil a dream. A CEO of a corporation may retire early to pursue a new career as a jazz musician. What many of these people know is that money is a poor motivator in the end. It’s much more satisfying to pursue objectives for the pure joy of pursuing them, regardless of how much money you can make.
Many winning traders are more motivated by the process of trading than by the profits they are making. It’s common to hear traders say, “I love trading so much that I would do it for free if I had to.” Indeed, when one looks into the backgrounds of top traders, the story seems to be the same: They all tried to get a job in the trading industry as soon as possible, any job as long as it involved trading in some way.
The markets fascinated them. The money was either secondary or not an issue at all. Successful traders love the challenges the market offers and view their work as meaningful. But many novice traders look at trading from a conventional view of success. They focus on competing with others, beating them out of profits, and winning bragging rights. Such an approach may satisfy a trader initially, but over time, it’s unlikely to be sufficient. Pursuing trading as a passion is a healthier, more satisfying way to approach trading. It’s more useful to focus on pursuing goals that are intrinsically interesting and personally meaningful. One should pursue trading because he or she enjoys the intellectual challenge.
Market action is intrinsically interesting. It is a rewarding intellectual challenge to devise innovative new trading strategies, and seeing how well your ideas pan out, just for the fun of it, is exciting and enjoyable, regardless of whether you win or lose. Viewing trading from this perspective can act as powerful motivators. Individuals who pursue trading in this way are more likely to feel satisfied and can more easily manage the extreme stress the market is infamous for producing. When you aren’t focused on the profits, it’s easier to stay calm and focused. You will be better able to accept your limitations. And in the end, you’ll find your performance is heightened as a result of taking a more passionate approach to trading.
The way you approach trading dictates how you feel about it, and how well you will do overall. Those who find trading intrinsically satisfying, enjoyable, and meaningful will put in the necessary hard work and achieve high-performance levels. To cultivate a healthy approach to success. Don’t focus on the money and status that successful trading may bring. Enjoy the process of trading. Seek out challenges and the satisfaction of meeting them. You’ll end up more profitable by doing so.