In my latest post, I shared how, as a teenager, I used a Tony Robbins exercise to “reprogram” myself from loving chocolate to being disgusted by it — and how decades later, I’ve returned to his teachings in a whole new way.
Here’s why investing in your mindset matters so much. It’s not about investing money so much as it’s a shift in your beliefs, and a bit of time.
Better than Diet or Exercise
The best part about investing in your mindset is that it generally takes WAY less effort than a typical wellness venture but can have such great return on investment.
Wanna lose weight? You have to be willing to sweat, be sore from exercise, say no to tempting unhealthy foods, and put the effort into making nourishing meals.
Investing mindset doesn’t need any of those things. It does require you to bring it into your belief system. First, believing that mindset exercises and insights can actually help you trade better. And second, setting aside time to consistently address your mindset every time you sit down to trade.
Because if you don’t believe that it will work, or set aside the time for it, you won’t make it a habit. And making the habit, like brushing your teeth every morning, is what makes mindset implementation effortless.
My Dad’s Crazy (Real) Experience with Mindset
Meditation was not mainstream in the 1980s when I was growing up in the suburbs of New York. But my dad was keen to try it, not only being of Indian origin, but getting into trading and seeing first hand the mental battles that happen daily.
He made a habit of meditating, and told me a story of how one day he was practicing fully laid out on our family room couch while we were all out of the house. As he got deep into it, something crazy happened. He said he started to see his own body, laying out on the fuzzy navy fabric, light streaming in from the backyard slider. Then it hit him – if my body is down there, and I’m up here, what’s going on?
It startled him so much that he snapped out of the meditation. And was afraid to try again because of the strangeness of that unexplained state.
And I don’t blame him. Again, sitting around and talking with your friends and colleagues about your wellness practices was not a thing back then.He didn’t have a community or a guide to say, “That’s okay, keep going.”
But hearing that story, I thought: If I ever experience something powerful when I’m working on my mindset, I don’t want to shut it down out of fear. I want to lean into it.
Tony Robbins Does it Again
This past spring, I tuned into one of Tony Robbins’ online summits. Most of the content didn’t land with me and I wasn’t interested in attending his massive live event coming up that he was promoting.
But he shared a mindset exercise he’d used with professional athletes and top performers. I stopped multitasking and leaned into my screen.
If I hadn’t already believed that investing in mindset could work, I probably would’ve dismissed the session and clicked away. Instead, I followed his exercise and tried it again the next day. And the next..
The belief came first. The habit followed. And it’s now part of my pre-trading routine.
Your Turn
Take a moment to think about your own life.
- Did you ever play a sport, an instrument, or perform — and need to “get your head right” before you stepped out?
- Have you ever leaned on mindset in your role as a parent, partner, or leader?
If yes, you already know that mindset training works. If not, that’s okay too. The point is just to pause and notice where belief has played a role in your growth.
In my next post, I’ll finally share the specific exercise I learned this year and how I’ve been using it before I trade.
For now, just ask yourself: Am I willing to invest a few minutes in my mindset, even if it feels small?
~Hima
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