Resetting the “Anchor”
In learning about negotiations, I remember studying the “anchor”, you can see HBS discussing the anchor here:
Research into human judgment has found that how we perceive a particular offer’s value is highly influenced by any relevant number that enters the negotiation environment. Because they pull judgments toward themselves, these numerical values are known as anchors. In situations of great ambiguity and uncertainty, first offers have a strong anchoring effect—they exert a strong pull throughout the rest of the negotiation. Even when people know that a particular anchor should not influence their judgments, they are often incapable of resisting its influence. As a result, they insufficiently adjust their valuations away from the anchor
.
Lately, I have realized that I have had a “fitness anchor”, a level of fitness determined by the friends around me. I generally think of myself as pretty fit – able to go on 100k bike rides, lifting relatively heavy weights (for a girl of course). Even at an aerobics class the other week the instructor commented on the fitness of my core due to many months of consistent yoga practice. But – since Lori, one of my fittest friends, started training for competitive Mixed Martial Arts, my anchor has been reset. You can see her training regimen on her Jiu-Jitsu Sensei Blog here:
We went through a series of conditioning exercises, including: 100 squats, 60 leg lunges, 2 minutes of jumping up and down from the ring, 2 minutes of sit-ups (while lifting a 4kg medicine ball up over the head then passing it back to my partner), 2 minutes of sprawl push-ups (while passing the medicine ball back and forth with my partner in between), 2 minutes of doing boxing punches with resistance bands. And after that, we started our skills training.
So – with my anchor reset by Lori’s example, I am stepping up my fitness routine by adding more weight workouts and two spinning workouts a week. This whole situation has reminded me how much your friends and people around you influence you and your decisions in life… and it has made me think how my friends anchor me in different ways, both positively and negatively. How about you?
Haha, and that work-out has since increased in intensity. You have always been an anchor for me too. The biggest one being your sense of social responsibility. The way you give to the charitable causes you believe in inspired me to do the same.
“I generally think of myself as pretty fit – able to go on 100k bike rides, lifting relatively heavy weights (for a girl of course”
Mustn’t argue with you then
I think you are likely safe over there in the UK Jeremy
.