Motivation - Love it or Hate it

A common trait I've seen among those who fall under the rather large umbrella of mediocrity is the lack of motivation.

Let's face it, while face-time may be a worthless measure, hard workers still find themselves working a lot. Not all of them work from the office, mind you. A great many of the hard-driving folks on wall street find themselves working everywhere-from home, in the car, at the gym, etc. If you're wondering how you work from these places, I'll tell you that a cell phone with an ear bud or an i-pod with the WSJ loaded can do you wonders for time efficiency.

There's nothing wrong with being in the game for the money. In fact, money is probably the strongest motivator, but it's coupled with the competitive spirit. For most, it is not about making a lot of money. It is certainly not about making "enough" money. It's about making more money than your friends, your competition, the guy next to you. Wall Streeters are compelled by "keeping up with the Joneses" to the extreme. The next big motivator is intellectual challenge. People like doing things that challenge them (well, most do) and capital markets can be the ultimate challenge as your put yourself up against millions of others in the global economic game.

If you don't see yourself as motivated by any of the above, Wall Street may not be the best place for you. I know a few people who just joined i-banks who are really only there "to learn for a few years and move on" or "to make a living." Well, these people will never make it big. Clearly they don't really want to, so that's okay. But when those same people complain about not getting ahead, not getting promoted, or not being comped properly--that aggravates me.

You can't have it both ways. Either you love the work and immerse yourself in it, or you're just not going to be the top of the food chain here. I'm fine with people who don't want to let their work take over their life, but if you don't love your work that much, you can't complain about not making it big either.