ANCHORING BIAS

Imagine yourself at the grocery store, buying multiple boxes of cereal because you saw it’s on sale. Now, you’ve never really paid attention to its price before, but you just can’t resist a good sale.  

The excitement we can feel over a sale sign is indescribable. Were you even planning to buy that cereal that day? 

When we see a sale sign, we automatically assume we are about to save some money. That happens a lot in life. We receive one piece of information, and based on that information we create a whole story on how that will affect us. We get so carried away with that one piece of information that we create an illusion of what our lives will look like in the future.  

The process of selecting a habit is often based on a single piece of information. “Do 10 squats a day for a whole new fit shape of your body!”  These headlines are tempting, but do they really result in permanent change? That’s why it’s important to try out various habits during your selection process, before you commit to a new habit. 

Instead of becoming biased by the first piece of information you see, take your time to explore your options more deeply, and reflect on what actually works for you. When you give yourself the time to select the right habit for you, the sky’s the limit on the changes you can bring to your life.