When it comes to life and trading, we’re always presented with more options than we could ever say yes to.
And I feel this even more during certain seasons — back-to-school, holidays, those stretches of the year where everything seems to land on your plate all at once.
So here’s a neat little trick, based in science, that can help you navigate those decisions.
I’m not saying to use this every single time you make a trade — although technically, you could.
But it’s especially useful for the decisions that aren’t strict “musts,” yet sit in that “strong want” category.
A Light Example — But a Real One
Let’s take that Thanksgiving-through-December window when social invitations, family obligations, and holiday parties multiply overnight.
So imagine your neighbor Bob is hosting a holiday party.
It’s on a weeknight, as many of these are.
You’re not sure if you want to attend because you suspect how it will go: a couple cocktails, staying up later than you intended, and a next morning that might not set you up well for trading.
But… It's the holidays. And you want to be neighborly.
I’m using a simple example here, something we can all relate to.
But you can use this same technique for much bigger decisions in your trading.
Step 1: State the Facts — Without Emotion
Just tell yourself the neutral version of what’s happening:
- Bob is my neighbor.
- He’s having a holiday party.
- It’s on X day at Y time.
- He invited me.
That’s it.
No judgment, no inner narrative — just the facts.
Step 2: Try the Muscle Test
This is where the “science-based trick” comes in.
Take your dominant hand — for most of us, that’s the right hand — gently shake it out, and relax it.
Now take the affirmative version of the scenario.
Even if the thing you’re considering isn’t “good” or “bad,” the affirmative is simply:
I’m going to Bob’s holiday party.
Place the nail of your middle finger gently against the inside tip of your thumb.
Stay relaxed.
See if there’s any reaction in your body.
Then immediately say the negative:
I am not going to Bob’s holiday party.
Keep your fingers in the same position.
And pay attention.
If you truly relax and don’t overthink it, one of those statements is going to make your middle finger “flick” off your thumb.
It’s subtle, but it’s real — and it usually aligns with what your gut is leaning toward.
“But Won’t I Bias the Answer?”
That was my first question when a colleague taught this to me.
But funny enough, the more I used it, the more I realized:
our bodies don’t lie.
If you move quickly, without analyzing it to death, the flick response shows up on the statement your intuition is pointing you to.
This is why it’s so helpful when you’re in that in-between space…
when the decision feels muddy…
or when you’re overwhelmed because there are too many things to juggle at once.
Use It in Life — And Yes, In Trading
Muscle testing can support you in any part of your trading journey:
- deciding whether to tweak an aspect of your trading plan
- choosing whether to try a new technique
- whether a workshop or training is worth your time
- whether a particular educational investment is right for you
There’s no limit to where it can help — as long as you go in with an open mind.
All it does is reveal the leaning you already have, the one that’s hard to articulate when your brain is tired or overloaded.
And remember:
You can always choose the opposite later.
This just gives you one more layer of insight — the kind that’s hard to get through logic alone.
~Hima
Leave a Reply