Anchor Habits
I’ve come to understand that there are some habits that I call Anchor Habits.
These are habits that keep you anchored to reality — so you don’t float into delusion. They help you stay present.
Important Properties about Anchor Habits
- They must forward you towards your goals
- They must be somewhat achievable easily (because difficult things don’t easily become habits)
Examples of Anchor Habits
There are a couple of anchor habits for me:
- Writing at least 1 article per week — and also sending my newsletter
- Spending 15-30 minutes with myself every now and then
- Reading books
Articles + Newsletter
Writing 1 article per week + publishing my newsletter lets me stay in touch with the people I connect with. Regardless of whether people respond, I get a sense of how I’m affecting (or not affecting) the world around me.
In the near future, I’d like to add a Reels or a Carousel post into that habit as well. Because that gives me a sense from a different angle.
From experience, if I don’t send my newsletter, I’m almost sure that I’m floating somewhere and I’ll have to anchor myself soon.
15-30 minutes with myself
Spending 15-30 minutes with myself gives me the chance to get in touch with my body and state of being. Without it, I might float without being aware of it.
Reading
Reading books written by others can be rather split. Some people write with hype. Others write with grounded knowledge.
Recently, I’ve been reading Memories, Dreams, and Reflections by Carl Jung and it has been extremely helpful for me. It helps me fear the mysterious and unconscious less, which in turn helps me be less neurotic.