What will success as a trader bring to my life?

Success has many faces: peace of mind, high levels of health and energy, loving relationships, financial security, meaningful goals and aspirations, and the feeling that you are growing into all that you are capable of becoming. Becoming all that you can be is called "self-actualization."It is important to recognize that success is not only financial, but exists on many levels. A person may find success in any of the above areas of his life without achieving financial success from trading the markets. Successful trading may provide a means to fulfill other areas of success, but may never buy good health or peace of mind. Being a successful father and a good husband is a different kind of success based on human values. The master trader can achieve success in all the important areas of his life when he realizes that financial success with a failed personal home life is no success at all.

Success as a trader can bring you just about anything you will allow. It can bring personal wealth, but how you use that wealth determine the scope of your success. You may decide to use it only on yourself. In that case your success will have a very limited scope. You can use your wealth to help others, in which case you will have broadened the scope of your success.

Success as a trader can bring you free time. Having time to spend with loved ones can bring you a happy family life. Time is money, and so having time to spend with family can be time well-spent. I have known moderately successful traders who value the time they have to spend being with the people they want to be with and doing the things they want to do, more than they value money. Just think of all the things you can accomplish if you don't have to spend 1-2 hours/day commuting to work. I'm not great with math, but I can tell right off the top of my head that 200-400 hours/year adds up to a lot time over the period of an average work life. In fact, in my value system, having time is far more valuable than having money. For me, being able to work at home, barefoot and in my shorts, is priceless. Having time to help others is also worth more than wealth, at least the way I see it.