Trading can be defined in a number of ways. For example, “A transfer of funds from those who do not know what they are doing and have little emotional management, to the accounts of those who do know what they are doing and are exercising strong emotional management.” Or “Trading is a journey in self discovery” and “Trading is an art and must be practiced like practicing the medical arts or practicing law or any other endeavor that requires a high level of proficiency.” Furthermore, like medicine and law, the attentive, attuned and serious trader understands that you must approach the markets from a position of continuous learning (both about the markets and more importantly about yourself). But, learning does not occur in any enduring fashion unless it is sparked by curiosity. When that spark is not present, people approach their training and education as a purely academic exercise without ardent application. In this scenario the training and education last for a while, but without commitment, the novice trader soon stops using the new tools and concepts. They gradually forget them, often beginning with the principles and concepts which made the training seem so worthwhile in the first place. You must approach your trading and education as the “leader” of yourself, as your own personal supervisor in the pursuit of success.
Learning is related to your personal purpose and vision. If you resonate with this concept then you will do whatever you can to keep learning alive (as in the use of feedback loops, documentation and measurement tools to track progress). This has to do with both mechanical data (the mechanics of trading in the markets), and as well internal data (thoughts, emotions and behaviors that drive trading results) in order to maintain the critical balance between the two as the trader moves forward and evolves. The curiosity driven pursuit of learning and skill-building which is tied to a personal purpose and vision is “intrinsic motivation.” This process of getting the results you want is not driven by money but by a desire to gain mastery over what it takes to be consistently successful…where success is defined as an unwavering commitment to… Continue Reading
