Is Your Trading Inspired?
|What does it mean to be inspired or to have inspiration? According to Merriam-Webster inspiration is: something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create: a force or influence that inspires someone: a person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something: a good idea. Some examples of an inspiring event might be a dazzling sunrise that causes you to catch your breath and triggers a gratitude for being alive and desire to do more; or witnessing the miracle of birth that inspires you to be better; or any other of the many instances where you are taken by the majesty and mystic of the moment. It also has to do with those times when you are quietly inspired by the what-matters-most in your life, like family, love and service to community that creates an inner passionate excitement. Being inspired also is about using organization and planning skills to put in place and maintain your focus on the things that are most important in the trade. It’s connecting the what-matters-most in your life to the what-matters-most in the trade. One of the most critical items in becoming inspired and passionate enough to raise your bar and increase your motivation factor is to start out with a “compelling reason” to trade; in other words your purpose.
Your purpose for trading is a navigational compass for maintaining “true trade north.” This is ensuring that your trading is “principle centered.” One thing that many traders default to when they think about purpose is to tie the ship totally to the notion of “profit.” As strange as it may sound, having money as your only reason for trading is like game playing being the only reason for using your cell phone while disregarding the vital importance of connecting with the important people and events of your life. Don’t get me wrong, money is integrally connected to trading and it is the lifeblood of the markets; but it is not the only, nor the primary reason why you trade. You want what money can buy. Money is only a medium of exchange; you can’t eat, drink or live in it, which means that it is only a secondary (extrinsic) and not a primary (intrinsic) motivator. Its only value is derived by consensus and, therefore, it is subject to becoming worthless; as so many currencies have fallen prey in history. The compelling reason is what connects the critically important things in your life to the critically important things in the trade; for instance, tying the passion of family and providing for their welfare to making sure that you are planning your trades, trading your plans, following all of your rules and keeping all of your commitments. These top the list of what-matters-most items while in the trade in order to get the results that you want. This why is the compelling reason; because when you get to that fork in the road, facing a trade where you want to give in to that urge to chase a trade, move a stop or exit a trade prematurely, you can plug into the energy of your passion by accessing and activating your compelling reason in order to re-mind yourself that you are trading for your children’s education, your families vacation home or the future of your little towheaded grandchild and this is why you must follow your rules and keep your promises.
Trading has a number of definitions; for instance, “It is the transfer of money from the accounts of those who don’t know what they are doing into the accounts of those who do.” (Sam Seiden) “Trading is a journey in self-discovery.” And, “Successful trading is effective energy management.” When you create consistency in your planning, follow-through and execution you will develop “step-by-step” capacity for strength and endurance in the trade. This all begins with your purpose, your compelling reason that puts the energy of your passion in the service of your trading. Here is where the importance of your process can inspire you to go as far as you can with all that you’ve got…your personal greatness. This is what we teach in “Mastering the Mental Game” Online and On-location courses. Ask your Online Trading Academy representative for more information. Also, get my book “From Pain to Profit: Secrets of the Peak Performance Trader.”
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