Everything I’m not made me everything I am.
-Kanye West
What is mental anchoring bias?
Anchors are references.
And the order of these references affects your choices.
When you see your anchors, you can influence them.
This post will teach you how to recognize your anchors.
By the time you finishing reading, you’ll know where to shift them.
Now here comes the good part.
How Mental Anchoring Bias Affects Your Life
Anchors are both mental and physical.
- People you know
- Products you buy
- Places you frequent
They represent your cognitive map.
Anchors affect your life because they determine your sense of “normal”.
(Water to your fish)
You can never see past the choices you don’t understand.
Every major anchor has:
- Habits
- Connections
- And choices
revolving around it.
People have a tendency to limit themselves to what they know.
If your anchors are limited, so is your world. When an anchor changes, so does your life.
What This Means For You
Anchors apply to everything.
- Money
- Lifestyle
- Persuasion
We understand by comparing. Reality is contextual.
The bad helps you appreciate the good, doesn’t it?
As you’ve realized, you recognize yourself by your references.
Only through contrast can you find out who you actually are.
Your best self is found by putting your life into the right context.
Always be mindful of the things that make up your identity.
This is why small tweaks to big blocks lead to massive changes.
- Avoiding losers gives you more energy
- High-value skills attract a higher salary
- Hitting the gym helps you meet other winners
You see, releasing an anchor reveals a hidden menu of options.
Anchors come with networks, and networks lead to anchors.
In fact, many “friendships” result out of convenience.
This is why it’s best to rely on yourself as your own anchor.
Anything with lots of leverage is an anchor.
(Parasite-Host relationship comes to mind).
Take a moment to go over your references (anchors).
- Observe every pillar as a hub of attraction.
- Notice what else revolves around it.
- Once you’ve identified your anchors, you can plan shifts to make better ones.
What will you need to change to attain your desired lifestyle?
How To Shift Anchors
Awareness of your anchors limits their influence.
However, the only way to shift your anchors is to break homeostasis.
It’s also important to invest in a strong presence of mind.
Anchors explain why growth feels difficult.
It’s about overcoming mental limits.
Those invested in your anchors might resist as well.
However, self-worth allows you to create your own script via risk.
The top requirement is consistency.
The only way to be free is to build your own anchors.
The truth is, they’re somewhere out there in the unknown.
To find them, use:
- Principles
- Strategies
- And concepts as a guide.
A path will emerge.
Take your daily steps until you encounter new breakthroughs.
The Consequences?
It’s important to be aware of the drawbacks.
Taking this path may force you to leave some things behind.
Many never leave due to this pressure.
(See why they call it an “anchor”?)
An example of this is lifestyle inflation.
Always evaluate whether the juice is worth the squeeze.
Are you locked into a role at the expense of other things?
Choices arise out of values.
They determine your priorities.
Preferences are revealed through habits and actions.
People make “irrational” decisions because anchors carry hidden benefits.
This is why they stay in damaging situations.
If you stop playing a vital role within someone’s story, they’ll get angry.
This tears a gaping hole into their world.
However, the vacuum soon fills itself with something else.
Everything finds balance.
Conclusion
Anchors are references.
They define your life.
Everything is understood through context.
- Every anchor serves as a hub.
- Small anchors lead to a limited life.
- To change your anchors, use principles to take risk.
- Shifting an anchor shifts its attachments (2nd and 3rd order consequences).
Want access to more powerful insights?
Read “Twitter Meditations“.
It’s a collection of golden maxims proven to help increase income, develop better relationships, attain greater freedom, and live a better life!
Enjoy.
-M.I.
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My name is Mister Infinite. I've written 500+ articles for people who want more out of life. Within this website you will find the motivation and action steps to live a better lifestyle.
very amazing essay
I think the ideas in this essay ought to be expanded on in detail in several directions. You hit on some important points like daily schedule [what one does every day without fail is an anchor]., the person one most admires and tries to emulate,[making a conscious decision whom to emulate], with what kind of group to hang out with. And the effects of all this on one’s inner self.
Thanks.
To clarify, your daily schedule isn’t an anchor. It’s CREATED by your anchors. (Venues, people, career, etc).
When you recognize the big blocks, you identify what they attract.
For more info, check out the archives.
Thank you I will try to get to that.
Another great post.
You don’t write often but I still come here because I like the sense of positivity coming through in your writing that is absent from a lot of the more ‘game’ oriented blogs I read.
Keep up the good work…
Thanks! The real key is being your best self. Value over everything (in all realms of life).
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