These days, I lift weights and watch what I eat. I’m probably in one of the better shapes of my life.
But when I was a teenager, I wasn’t so tuned in to my lifestyle choices. Like a good oldest child of immigrant parents, I was focused on academics. I was heavier back then, and health just wasn’t on my radar.
It wasn’t until my father introduced me to Tony Robbins’ book Unlimited Power that I realized we can reprogram more than we think.
Reprogramming Chocolate
I didn’t read the whole book — that 1986 version was dense — but I found a specific exercise about reprogramming your mind within it.
I used it to “rewire” myself from loving chocolate to actually hating it. And it worked…or so I thought.
The next time I went out with friends at Uno Pizzeria in Lynbrook, New York, I skipped dessert.
But the girls around the table looked at me like I had ten heads. One friend finally said, “You’re not eating chocolate anymore? But that’s not fun. It’s fun to have desserts together.”
Innocent enough, but classic peer pressure.
And guess what? I went home and undid all that programming immediately. Being part of the group was more important than a narrow waistline in those formative years.
Fast forward 30 years — I still love chocolate. And it’s the trickiest part of my diet. Sometimes I wonder: what if I had stuck with that great reprogramming? Where would my health be now?
This isn’t about regret. It’s about realizing how much control we really have — more than we give ourselves credit for.
What Tony Robbins Taught Me This Year
Earlier this year, I came across another practice from Tony Robbins. I didn’t even know he used it until I saw him share it during a virtual event. I started weaving it into my pre-trading routine this spring, and it has made a world of difference.
Why? A few reasons:
- Markets move faster than ever. I’ve shifted from trading 3-minute charts to 15-second candlesticks on the E-mini S&P 500 futures. The speed can test your nerves.
- I now trade live in front of my Trading Tribe. Every Tuesday in my Futures Trading Lab, part of S&P Edge Pro, members watch me execute my plan from start to finish. It’s powerful — but also psychologically demanding.
- We’re in a season of transition. Writing this in late August, I feel that back-to-school energy. For me, September feels more like the “real” new year than January. It’s the perfect time to reset.
That memory of chocolate cake at Uno’s has stuck with me for decades. It reminds me how easily we can be influenced — and how important it is to anchor into what we truly want.
No, I didn’t reprogram myself to hate chocolate again. As an adult, I’ve learned it’s not chocolate or sugar that’s “bad.” It’s how and when we eat it. So now I’ll only have something sweet at the end of a meal, and in small amounts. That simple shift has had a major impact on my health.
The same is true in trading. Small, intentional changes in your mindset and routines can make an enormous difference in your results.
Over the next few posts, I’ll share this new mindset exercise from Tony in smaller pieces so it doesn’t overwhelm you. And if the feedback is there, I’ll even guide you through it live inside the First 40 Trading Club.
For You
Think back to a time you were committed, disciplined, and made a positive change. Did you stick with it? Or did you get pulled off course like I did at that pizzeria?
Either way, the lesson is the same: you can control more than you think. And if you bring even one new intentional practice into your trading, it can create a ripple effect far beyond the charts.
So let’s use this back-to-school transition as a reset, to step into September ready to trade with more clarity and confidence!
~Hima
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