Let Loose!

What's the difference between a bond and a bond trader? Old joke. The bond matures. It seems true. People in the finance industry don't mature in the same way people in other industries do. The old timers will still party hard with the newbies.

Ever wonder why that is? Well, I think it's because this industry will eat you alive if you don't learn to let loose your pent up energies once in a while. Stress in other industries is simply not the same as stress in this industry. One off moment, one slip of the tongue, one day-dream and you can find yourself several million dollars in the hole with way of reconciling (I've seen people quote the bid-side when asked for an offer in size and had a huge hole to work out of. . . it happens in less than two seconds). That's a lot of pressure to hold yourself to every day. Then, for those who survive, there's the added pressure of never letting the young folks catch up. Those who really excel also work when no one else is looking. Things stack up, and you've got to let loose once in a while to not let it get to you.

It's Saturday night. 10:30pm. I just finished some research and for next week. Keeping myself ahead of the curve so I can start Monday ready to take on the world. There's hardly a moment I don't feel the pressure of those coming up behind me to take my seat, so I need to keep myself ahead and more ready than any of my competitors to take the next big seat that opens. The pressure is always on. You know what though? For a few hours tonight, when I meet up with my friends at the bar/club, it'll all be out of my head.

We all have different ways of escaping, but "a good book" just won't cut it for an escape from our world. If you're in it for the long haul, you'll probably need to find a way to get it all out of your head once in a while. Don't be afraid to let loose. Then again, I probably didn't need to tell you that.