According to Vaknin (2008), anchoring is the way by which you get into the right state for what we want to do. This process involves connecting a symbol with the desired state or a resource state. It is called a resource state because you are more resourceful when you place or find yourself in this state (Vaknin, 2008). Once you have a symbol, you fire the anchor in order to trigger the associated resource state. Anchoring is related to behaviorism (Vaknin, 2008). Behaviorism reveals to us how to modify our behaviors. This involves a collection of methods used to train animals to do tricks.

Baldwin and Linnea (2010) stressed on anchoring our energy to the center in order to create a container that is capable of holding great sweetness and absorbing great tension. Anchoring also has a profound impact on people’s experiences for subtle and subjective elements, such as a sense of safety, inclusion, spaciousness for story, and the ability to respond appropriately to conflict.

The Behavior Is The Problem

According to Vaknin (2008), behavior modification is at the heart of most problems that we want to change about ourselves. Problems such as procrastination, addiction, and the like can be addressed if we modify our behavior. Through anchoring, we would combine communication with the understanding of our nervous system.

We need to create solutions that run themselves. We want the solution to be permanent. If you had to think about every strategy you use to be excellent, then you’d run out of brain power. People do not usually achieve amazing things just by reading self-help books or TV shows. You need to actually implement the change and sustain it.

People need to realize that anchors influence our behavior and relationships. Being in your workplace will automatically influence your workplace behavior. Moreover, being downtown can trigger your desire to visit your favorite diner or ice cream parlor. Parents help their children sleep by reading stories or playing music, which develops into an evening ritual.

Rituals are anchors that trigger states in a person. For example, a soldier who pulls out a locket from his girl friend back home can be an anchor for him. It will give him either feelings of homesickness or security and warmth.

Thoughts to Ponder Over

These are basic steps for integrating behavior and intention. Ask them to select a behavior for transformation. Identify the intentions behind those behaviors. Next, identify the related outcomes. Plan towards those outcomes. Try implementing the plan. Lastly, evaluate if the intentions and the behaviors are integrated properly.