Welcome to Episode 057 where we discuss how to maximize your day through the use of energy quarters…
Here’s what is on this week’s Podcast…
Topic Intro – 1:42
Here’s a question for you to consider right out of the gate:
Would you consider yourself a Creature of Habit?
For me, If I start a habit, I’m all good and will continue the habit for all that it brings. With… the good and the bad.
And if I’m out of my habit, which I called OOTRO or Out of the Routine of, that becomes my new habit. NOT doing something.
We live by our habits far more than we realize.
AND this is never more true than a fresh beginning.
A do over.
I’m a big advocate of Personal Development which is the 3rd action of the Energy Cycle under Refuel (Nutrition / Fitness / Personal Development).
And reading is a MAJOR daily activity for me both visual and audio.
During business travel, I often find books in the airport bookstore or crash a Barnes-N-Noble for some evening downtime.
I recently picked up a book from an author who I had read a couple of his other books: Driven and to Sell is Human.
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.
For example the 1st day of the year, or month, or week are what social scientists often call a “temporal landmark.”
Just as we use landmarks to guide us as a visual marker, we leverage these “Stand Out Days” from what Daniel Pink calls, “the ceaseless and forgettable march of other days, and their prominence helps us find our way.”
RESEARCH: In 2014, three scholars from the Wharton School of the University of Penn published this breakthrough paper in the science of timing that opened up our eyes to the understanding 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
Interestingly, two things happened whether social or personal temporal landmarks were used:
1. They allowed people to open “new mental accounts” in the same way a business closes the books at the end of one year and opens new books in the next year.
It’s a break from the past mistakes and imperfections and leaves us confident about “what could be”. Key Marker: New Years Day or Birthday
2. They also interrupt attention to the everyday minutiae causing people to take a big picture view of their lives and focus on achieving their goals.
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
Here’s my definition of an Anchor Day – 5:50
“Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time”
The power is in the word: ANCHOR.
What does an anchor do?
The trusty dictionary defines an anchor as “A device used to prevent the craft from drifting (due to wind or current)”
We’re the Craft in the analogy and the drift is ANYTHING that takes us where we DON’T want to go!
You think about an Anchor. When it drops and takes hold, you aren’t go anywhere or anywhere soon.
And since we’re notorious for drifting especially if we don’t start out strong hence the Power of an Anchor Day.
Let’s breakdown the key aspects of an Anchor Day…
There are THREE Key Aspects of an Anchor Day to be effective and be powerful – 6:52
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 which 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.
BREAK – 9:10
Energy Boost
Treva Promo – Living Tree.co
5MEK Promo – 5MinuteEnergyKickstart.com
Let me the review the definition and of the key aspects of an anchor day before we get into the weeds with some examples – 12:02
“Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time”
The Three Key Aspects:
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
Back to the book, WHEN, for a moment – 12:43
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 – 14:12
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 – 14:53
If you’ve been listening to this podcast for any length of time, you’ve picked up that I’m a Road Warrior.
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?
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.
I’ve watched it play out so many times as each day of the business trip continues. Their energy, and as a result, their effectiveness and productivity dramatically decrease.
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.
So, let’s work through the three aspects of an Anchor Day in my example of a Road Warrior – 17:18
Set Date – 1st day of my business travel – this is my WHEN
Catalyst Behaviors – these are pre-determined actions I need to do – This is the WHAT
And here are some examples for me personally – 17:44
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
So, I created a H.O.M.E. Acronym – to help me feel settled and organized / prepared – 20:05
H – Hang up and unpack
O – Optimize the space
M – Manage the room temperature and scent
E – Exercise – something, anything is better than nothing
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
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 energy
WHAT NOW’s – 27:12
1) Choose ONE day that will make the most impact as an Anchor Day – start with one – this is the WHEN
2) Choose the Catalyst Behaviors – this is what do you need to do that will serve as a catalyst, springboard, for the rest of the day
3) Create Specific Triggers for those behaviors – they need reminders and cues. Create them to be highly effective to implement your catalyst behaviors
Next Episode Preview – 28:07
Here’s a preview of our next episode…
I interview Jeff Brown, award winning top rated podcast for the Read to Lead Podcast.
We get into the weeds of how reading dramatically affects your personal development.
I’m a BIG fan of Jeff’s work and was honored to interview him.
Closing Thoughts – 29:37
Anchor Days. Do you have them?
Would they make a difference in your life if you had them?
I challenge you to do the What Nows to create an Anchor day and experience the Power of Anchor Days for Your Energy.
I want to thank you for making it to this point in the podcast.
As always, we’ll try and do better next time
Go and get your Energy Edge on through Anchor Days, today…
