High Heeled Traders

Enduring Beauty - photo by Fr. Noi Azupardo

I thought when I saw her, I saw my “former” self in her. Busy, tired, bit frustrated juggling everything but still holding on to a dream. She’s also a mom and we met in a trading seminar. This is one of the things that hit me long before, if ever there was a group of people more fit to trade, it’s the Mothers of this Earth. Why? because Trading is a combination of so many different (sometimes opposing) things and mastering them is HARD…. and Mothers know HAAAARRRRRDDDD, and yet, we  still do it !

Top Traits

Some of my friends that I’ve talked to about trading say it is “risky”, “you should be able to predict”. Since you’re still reading this, clearly you have a better understanding.   🙂

 I’ve insisted that “Women are Natural Traders”, let me tell you about traits of  Top Traders that you will find familiar in mothering roles :

1. Risk-awareness – top traders don’t just take on any risk. The winning trades are often low-risk, and this is where mothers’ protectiveness can be put to good use — being aware of risks and assess if it is low enough to get into.

2. Flexibility : Patience and Action – you’d be familiar with this if you are still herding young children to go somewhere or do something. Need to use a lot of patience and take action when necessary to keep up with schedules and avoid ill temper (on both sides hehehe). Trading is the same, there is a lot of patience required (for profit to grow if moving in favor) before seizing the opportunity if it start to  fall and take profit at that point.

3. Discipline – this is about following the good and the right for a cause, no further explanation needed I hope!

4.  Being prepared –we’re always ready in case of any accident or unfortunate event.   The bringing of extra diapers, food, clothes – it’s about being prepared and going on with the show!  For  Trading this is applied in mapping out all that can happen in a trade –  knowing what to do if things don’t work or surpass targets even before getting into a trade.  Also being prepared for “contingencies” like if your  computer fails  or internet access is down – need to have a back-up plan.  Always.

5. Makeovers – this is about transformation – women seem to have a DNA for sensing when a change is needed for the better or something does not work.    Makeovers need not be extreme, but surely a woman is open to trying a change in appearance even as subtle as a  new   ‘do.     In Trading, this is particularly useful as when you need to change after  evaluating your own performance or the system you are following.

Mothering and Trading

Cool Mom - photo by Noel Abejero

“Busy, tired, bit frustrated juggling everything” – I think I’m past that stage!  When I realized what I really wanted my life to be and how Trading fits in — I made adjustments and strive to organize everything to work together so I can fairly say I am a more relaxed person, mother and trader. (Except on Mondays! Hehehe).

Also, I use a pretty common technique to pursue my Trading goals. The male population is reportedly scared by this M –word– and quite frankly, it is not “fool-proof” but without it, I don’t think dinners would be served on time to hungry little stomachs every day.  I am talking about “multi-tasking”.   What I do is not “extraordinary”, but I make it a point that I do some trading-related activity that takes place at the same time as taking care of my kids, the house or my own well-being.

I found that I can combine 3-4 activities at one time (yeah, it can get pretty twisted 🙂  )

1. Playing with my baby at her playpen, I listen to a CD of my Trading course while I lie on the floor doing muscle-tightening exercises (abdomen/thigh) or breathing / relaxation exercises.

2. Checking the stock price with my children (at 3 years old or so they already know the alphabet) – I get them to type up the Stock Symbol and read to me the stock price. I get to reinforce their learning of alphabets, numbers, reading skills and engage with the children – and I get to monitor my positions.

3. Going for a walk (usually with my son – he wakes up early) or soak in a scented bath (usually with my eldest daughter ) thinking about Low-Risk trade I can do next, strategies or listening to Trading CD. So we bond, learn something and relax / let go of stress.

4. Walking with the children, we read the price of gas along the road and come home to plot them in a chart. We do “connect the dots” and this they learned to do on their own — trace the Highs and Lows in a stock chart.

5. Looking at world maps (the kids like playing with Google Earth and some cartoons bring up cultures and countries in their stories). We talk about “economic features” that is interesting to them, why there are a lot of tall buildings or people — it is quite funny — the amount of questioning that they are capable of !

Multi-tasking is surely only limited by your imagination. If you have any ideas in folding in trading activities, I’d love to hear it!

Bustling Vietnam-photo by Noel Azupardo

 

 

Top Models

In Forbes magazine, I like to read about how mega-rich people raise their children so that they too, are able to build on their wealth.   

It ran an article about “Mothers and Leadership Agility” by Ana Dutra,  ” Mothers, especially working mothers, have to be both fast on their feet and make sure they are modeling the behaviors they wish their future generations to adopt. For mothers, new challenges and ambiguity are the norm, rather than the exception. Yet, we aim for not only day-to-day results, but also long-term success.”   The author may have referred to “raising children” as having “challenges and ambiguity (uncertainty)” –    this also rings  true for Trading!   In Trading we aim to profit from opportunities in  volatility (up-down movement)  or trends that are caused by many factors,  that are not always clear.   As in Mothering and Trading — what helps us to triumph are our  Rules and  Self-Mastery.

So Mothering and Trading are in many ways,  the same.  

My new battle cry  : Mothers make  Top Traders !   

 

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