CMS T ~CU> TO BlCOMINC A TOf> TIlAD[R

1'111<: IlX1'll N\: ,\ U ,\ ' ~101' IV/\1' .~ U 1' N'\IU~ N

I have seen a numl>er of traders "'ho have been working from the wrong
kind of molivalion Sen' raJ y{'ars back, Tom ,{'ada"<l his tradin~ P<'ak wh{'1\
he camed elloUJ!l' mon"y ill a f{'",' laghly succ"""ful {rad"" to mov{' his
r"mily inlo (I",ir dream hOllle. He Was al"" ,'bl~ to pul mOlley ill (hc bank
alld pay orrille (oa'lS needed to set up his trading busin~'SS. Since (hell, he
11"'1 strugglHl tn maintain Iti~ m",nentum while responding If> one {'rises or
fina",;ial demand aner ""other.
"1 want to do Iwuer," he told me, ' Why'!" 1 asked, Tom did not have a
good answ", 10 thaI qU"'"tlon and Ihal IS wherc Ih" problem is, I am nO\
saying Ihat he dId nol have reasons to wam to sac{'{'{'{\, He explained Ihat
his wire was nol wetl enough (0 hold dowII a run-timejoh all~ r a bout with
CanCer and Ihat Iheir medical bills "'ere a con'<lant problem 10 rl'SOI,·c. He
wa.~ also eager to prove to hL~ family Ihatthey were wrong in "ot supporting
him in his lradmg, lie wanted to show tlwm Ihat I,e was not ollly financially
secure, but Ihal he was wealthy by Iheir standards,
In his mld-t!mtirs, Tum is an tnl{']1igenl, educated, and auracllW' man.
!lowe"er, when h{' was growin.o: U]', to{' was not a socially suce"""ful
t ... nager. III school , his penChant rur mathe '''atics and s<"icnce made hi '"
tI' e butt or ridicule and butlying. Nu"" '<landing u"er six k-et tall an" having
",orked out with ",eighl~ for years, Tum no longer 1~'Is Ihe louk uf some-
one who ",ould aUraet a bully, 11"" -ever, he slill bears the scars of feeling
powe, l""" and unappreciaU'd, Twenty years laler, Tom is still responding
IU th ~ demands and CXpcctatiOM of oIl,{'rs and ill oul uf touch wilh Ihe
things thai are meaningful to tum,

1'111:: l ,oW.nOW\' 0\' ~IO'l'lV\'I' IO\:

Whal L~ Sof, iml",n,ru't ahout a trader's motivatio,,? T rarlers who Io,,,,e had
long, suee"""ful careers aJ'(' nearly alwa"vs Inwm ally motivaled, They are
suee"""ful l>ecause they are insptn'd to act by Iheir own ludd"n agenda,
whld, may e"cn be unknown to Ihem , Tradcrs who a ... inl{'mally moti,
. 'ated may nol n<"C<'SSaJily win mu ... ftghts than they lose, but when Ihey
hit (I,,,,,,,, ine "ila!Jle bu",flS ill Ihe road, (I,{'y have the invuluntary in(~ n ,a1
n"J,s cie Ihat prO(l<'ls the '" back up ""Iu Iheir r~'C1 and in", Il'e rray.
Traders who art' externally motivaled are mO"ed forn'ard by ~ircu m­
stances and/or by Ihe demands and expectalions of olhers, They wam to
be su{'cessful because of Ihe response thaI others will have W Iheir suc-
e""", TI,ey measur{' Ih{'or uw" wo"" ("rough Ih{' eyes of oIlI{'rs, If Ih('y sec