Anchoring

If there is a new thought, belief or action you want to introduce to your life, when and how can you instil it?

Have you ever read something compelling, exciting, promising and decided on the spot “yes, this is powerful, I must adopt it!”. You are full of optimism. You’re imagining the ‘new you’ because this not only makes sense but you can visualise all of the ways this can make things better.

Or perhaps you saw something as you scrolled through social media, or you did a course, read a book, listened to a podcast or were inspired by a speaker at an event or maybe you had a deep insight at a breath work class (highly recommend).

All too often, we think ‘this is so powerful/important, there’s no way I’m going to lose the thread’. Fast forward a week (or maybe less) and it is not part of your world anymore. This amazing thing that, for a few delicious moments, felt like it could change the way you live your life is...gone. Poof!

What happens?

In the clinic I work in, something we often encourage people to do is drink more water or breathe more often. Easy yes?

No.

The success rate of those left to their own devices is abysmal. In the appointment with their practitioner they understand the reasoning behind the recommendation. They’ve come to see us to elevate their health. It clearly matters. So why oh why is it so darned tricky to bring in something new?

We’re creatures of habit. The old ones.

Also, with the brain so full of content and colour and chores and children and commitments, how on earth can you anchor in a new thought or behaviour so that it sticks, it lasts, and it makes the difference you imagined?

The strategy

There was a not so subtle clue there. Did you spot it?

Anchor.

To anchor is to find something you want to bring into your life and attach or anchor it to an existing habit. What a stellar concept because the easiest thing in the world to do is forget something new – be it a way of thinking, action, concept or commitment.

Ask yourself, what are the things you already do that you can tack a new thing onto?

How I've anchored

I’ll share some examples of anchors in my world.

My pop is 96 years old. He lives in New Zealand while here I’m over the ditch. Because he’s not in front of me, or living just down the road, it would be so easy to get all distracted with life and forget to message him regularly. Staying in touch with an aging family member who lives alone is a very important thing. So, I made my computer password ‘pop’. I’ll have to change it now obviously, but for the last 4 years ‘pop’ is what has granted me magical access to my computer. Literally every single time I sign in I think of him. Very often it reminds me to text him. I can’t obviously text him every single time I open my computer – the man would no doubt disown me. It has, however, kept him front of mind.

A friend of mine is bursting with the promise of her next child. We recently had a gorgeous mother’s blessing in which a small group of her women folk gathered in a meaningful way to honour her. At the completion of the ceremony, we were bound together with simple red wool thread which was wrapped around each woman’s wrist. When she goes into labour, we will all be sent a message and we will cut the cord.

Every time I see it or feel the red cord against my wrist, I think of her. Even fleetingly. She is on my mind and in my heart multiple times a day.

While neither of those are a healthy habit as such, they’re darned good examples of how something simple like a password or bracelet can bring your mind to something.

An incomplete list...

Here’s an incomplete list of some ways you can remind yourself to remember to do a new thing:

· Wear something physical like a necklace or bracelet

· Create a new screensaver (words or image)

· Remind yourself with a phone or computer password

· Put a sticky note on a mirror

· Ask a friend or family member to remind you (great for people who like accountability)

· Connect it with a behaviour you already frequently do (going loo, having a glass of water, sending an email)

· Set an alarm

· Schedule it in your cal

The next time you’re juiced and jazzed with a new spark of something fabulous, go get your sailor pants on and see what you can anchor it to for effortless success.