Pattern · 09

Avoidance As Analysis

Decision Threshold Checklist

Define your criteria before market open. Refer to them when the setup appears.

“Fear has a favorite disguise: it always needs one more confirmation before you're allowed to act.”

The pattern

Analysis avoidance happens when you keep seeking one more confirmation, timeframe, opinion, or backtest because choosing feels emotionally risky. Research becomes a way to delay responsibility.

When to use

Before market open, to define exactly when enough information is enough.

The tool

Three criteria. One decision.

Two parts. Do the first before you trade; the last at the end of your trading session.

01Define Your Three Criteria.

Criteria 1: What must be true for this setup to be valid?

Criteria 2: What confirms timing?

Criteria 3: What invalidates the idea?

02Set the Decision Threshold.

If all three criteria are met, execute. If one or more are missing, pass. No extra searching.

Write it in your own words.

03Spot Analysis Avoidance.

Am I checking more because the setup is unclear, or because I fear being wrong?

Would more information improve the decision, or just delay the discomfort?

Am I safer analyzing than executing?

End of your trading session

The rest is for after you've traded. Your answers save to this device, so come back to this page at the end of your trading session and finish here.

04Post-Decision Review.

Did I follow the threshold?

Did I delay after the criteria were met?

What did I learn about my relationship to choosing?

Your answers save to this device as you type.

The anchor

Clarity comes from standards set in advance.

Decide before the pressure arrives.

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