Discipline: The Association Switch

April 20, 2010 in Blog 8 Comments

If you have followed the series on Trading discipline so far , you would know by now that discipline cannot be discussed in isolation to other aspects of your life. See part one here  and part two here

In this final post , I will discuss a powerful method used in for inducing disciplinary change at a structural level. Before going into this technique though, I need to first elaborate on a set of foundational Ideas

As mentioned in Part Two of this series,  the PAIN/PLEASURE principle lies at the heart of the Matter of the issue of Discipline. All our actions go through some sort of mental filter, which goes something like this below.

Would this give me pleasure, or would this cause me pain?

1) 50%/50% Pain vs Pleasure ( Pain always wins implying AVOID)

2) 20%-50% Immediately receivable Pleasure vs  80%- 90% perceived severely delayed pain ( PLEASURE wins)

3) 20% Immediately receivable Pain vs 80% slightly delayed pleasure (PAIN WINS-Implying avoid )This is the area where discipline becomes an issue

4) 100% Pain ( Immediate or Delayed ) – ( Avoid and repeat avoidance without any further significant processing in the Future)

5) 100% Pleasure ( Immediate or Delayed ) – ( Participate and repeat as often as possible)  Threshold ….Entrance of Pain i.e When utility or derived benefit begins decline..

These numbers above are not hard and fast , but are simply put here to give you an idea of magnitude.

With respect to beginning to trade or invest , most people are stuck in point 3 above. The knowledge of needing to put in EFFORT to succeed (PAIN). The idea of having to learn first (Pain). The possibility of taking losses in trading (Pain). The potential of not succeeding (Pain). And regardless of all that they might know of the benefits of success coming through hard-work , and how that success would lead to a significantly improved lifestyle in the Future, or how they would be able to contribute to others when successful, the immediacy of the Pain barrier is too large to move towards their investing goals.So they stay stuck, in the same actions and excuses.

To correct this faulty behavior ( i.e To Foster Discipline)  one can use the association switch . “The Association Switch” works in the following steps

1. A major attention shift to the 80% delayed pleasure discussed in point 3 above. In which you fully immerse yourself in the thought of having that 80% today. What it would feel like , why you would feel like that , really soak it all up in your mind. See yourself enjoying everything defined in the context of that 80%. Completely activate all your senses when doing this. Enjoy the process. Nothing comes between you and your goal except the limit of your own imagination, so give it the very best of everything you can Imagine.
2. Whilst in this state of mind, FORCEFULLY bring yourself BACK into the Present. Such that every single pleasure is not only taken from you , but WRENCHED FORCEFULLY from you. The essential idea is for you to feel the PAIN of LOSING what you have created in one above. This loss must be palpable.

The end objective of the “Assoc Switch” is that you place yourself from a starting point of Pt 3 above , and end up somewhere in the vicinity of Pt 4, the feeling of 100% Pain. This is where you are truly able to feel the PAIN of NOT DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. By bringing the opportunity-cost of your current actions into the Present , you are able to utilize the PAIN/PLEASURE principle , which lies at the heart of all human endevour to your benefit.

Stay Empowered,

Ty.

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