I’m on a flight right now and eating homemade scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and kale, cut up bell peppers and cucumbers with cherry tomatoes.
I do this every flight.
On the other hand, I’m sitting next to Egg McMuffin Man. Have you seen him?
Right now he’s inhaling an Egg McMuffin, hash browns, and washing it down with a jumbo Diet Coke. Diet, of course.
Does that make me better?
Well… I’ll let you be the judge.
The point is we’re both on the 1st day of a business travel trip and we both made an anchor decision how we’re starting off our trip.
He’s now in a coma while his phone is still on playing a movie.
I’m choosing to write.
Again, you be the judge.
Unknowingly, he’s making decisions that are setting the tone for the rest of his trip.
I see this kind of guy ALL of the time when I travel.
And there’s a reason he’s overweight, marginally effective, and lacks energy.
The Research.
Daniel Pink in his latest book, WHEN, talks about Beginnings – Starting Right, Starting Again, and Starting Together.
His premise is many, what he calls, False Starts, are MORE due to WHEN than WHAT.
If we do certain activities at the wrong time no matter if they’re the right activities, they simply will not have as strong as results.
He also addresses the need for Fresh Starts.
When we False Start, we need to Begin Again fresh.
Makes sense.
For example the 1st day of the year, or month, or week are what social scientists often call a “temporal landmark.”
In 2014, three scholars from the Wharton School of the University of Penn published a study of the use of temporal landmarks and how we can leverage them for new beginnings or fresh starts.
These scholars analyzed 8.5 years of Google searches. They found that certain word searches spiked dramatically on key “fresh start days” and triggered a predictable motivation in people.
Daniel Pink noted there are two types of Temporal Landmarks: Social and Personal
1. Social – those everyone shared: Mondays / New Month / New Quarter / Holidays
2. Personal – unique to the individual: birthdays / anniversaries / job changes
As the Wharton scholars concluded, “People can strategically create turning points in their personal histories.”
Now, the goal is to find what potential days could be your own Temporal Landmarks.
And I call this concept Anchor Days.
Definition of an Anchor Day:
“Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time”
The power is in the word: ANCHOR.
Let’s breakdown the key aspects of an Anchor Day…
THREE Key Aspects of an Anchor Day to be effective and be powerful:
1. Set Date – there must be a CLEAR starting date – This is the WHEN – a “specific day”
2 Catalyst Behavior – Key actions you need to do – This is the WHAT
3. Specific Triggers – reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE
All three aspects are critical for an effective Anchor Day that gives you sustainable energy and incredible results.
Ideally, you combine the specific day / catalyst behaviors / specific triggers into a plan to make the most of the Anchor Day.
Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline.
They don’t “just happen”.
Did you catch that?
Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline.
They don’t “just happen”.
You must INTEND to do them.
And they cause you to exert effort that requires discipline.
But the payoffs are absolutely huge.
So few people do them that when you create and implement an Anchor Day you’re already in a very elite group of high performers who are living with an Energy Edge.
Back to the book, WHEN, for a moment.
The author, Daniel Pink, offers the potential of 80 + days in the year when you can make a fresh start:
•1st day of the month (12)
•Mondays (52)
•1st day of Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter (4)
•1st day of an important religious holiday (1)
•Your Birthday! (1 only thankfully)
•A loved one’s birthday (1)
•1st day of school or semester (2)
•1st day of a new job (1)
•The day after graduation (1)
•1st day back after vacation (2)
•Anniversaries (7)
Hopefully your mind is working through what ARE your anchor days or what COULD BE your anchor days.
Here are my own personal on-going anchor days on a consistent basis:
1. Mondays
2. New Month
3. New Quarter
4. 1st day of a business trip
Now, let me drill down on one that makes the biggest impact for me on a consistent basis:
Business Travel…
My work is business travel a majority of the time.
As a result, having an Anchor Day is absolutely key for me.
I’ve learned through the years the MOST IMPORTANT day of business travel for me is the 1ST day of the trip.
Why?
It’s rather simple. Because how the 1st day goes, the rest of my trip usually goes.
A creature of habit.
If I can establish an “anchor” of certain behaviors on my 1st day, they will be my anchor keeping me grounded for the rest of the trip.
On the flip side, I witness first hand business travelers with shallow or no anchors and their 1st day of the business trip is inconsistent and all over the place.
And I’ve learned, once the train leaves the station, or in my case, the plane leaves the airport, I need to work my Anchor Day Plan.
Not going to be THAT guy anymore.
Personal Example…
So, let’s work through the three aspects of an Anchor Day in my example of a Road Warrior:
Set Date – 1st day of my business travel – this is my WHEN
Catalyst Behaviors – What I EAT / How I MOVE / When I Sleep
And here are some examples for me personally:
1. Taking my Breakfast with me – don’t leave to chance (AND if I have a healthy breakfast I’m FAR more likely to have a healthy lunch / dinner)
2. Snacks – bringing / buying (stopping somewhere to get fresh snacks) – finding a Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s, etc.
3. Hotel Room – I found this to be a big one for me because it’s my Home Away From Home on a trip and certain behaviors can really set me up
4. Connect – Check in with Home – this is done by early morning videos / audio / text messages so my family has them from me before they even wake up
5. Rest – Early Bed Time – this is SO key the 1st day because most of the tie I have an early flight and changing time zones
Now, remember, after the Set Date and Catalyst Behavior, is the 3rd aspect of the Anchor Day which is…
Specific Triggers reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE
• Water bottle / tupperware / snack bag out the night before
• Apple Watch alarms – stand / drink water
• and the example I gave in detail: Hotel Key hitting the room door – trigger for the H.O.M.E. acronym to kick in
Wrapping This Up…
You need to think through your own world.
What needs to have an Anchor Day?
What day if you leveraged the concept of an Anchor Day could provide you the needed energy and focus you need?
Is it Mondays / new Month / new Quarter / a Big Project / possibly business travel…?
Answering this question will give you the ability to leverage the Power of Anchor Days for your business trip.
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