Second Cup: Find an anchor date

One way to make what needs to happen happen

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to use anchor dates to make sure that
things that need to happen periodically actually occur on schedule.

(00:28):
I recently heard about a person who schedules all of
his annual medical appointments for right around his birthday. He
schedules his annual physical plus the eye doctor, dermatologist, and
whatever other specialists he needs to see once a year.
He isn't going to forget his birthday. So if he
knows that he makes his appointments for around his birthday,

(00:51):
there is no more wondering when the last appointment was.
Such a smart and simple approach, and hey, it has
the added benefit of recasting preventative healthcare as a gift
to yourself. You are increasing the chances of many more
birthdays to come. That is the power of a good

(01:14):
anchor date. For tasks that need to happen more frequently,
you can simply choose anchor dates that happen more frequently.
For instance, if the air filters in your home need
to be changed four times a year, why not choose
the four dates when your estimated taxes are due the
summer and winter solstice could work for your dental cleanings

(01:38):
or other tasks that need to happen semiannually. Anchor dates
can likewise be useful for things that need to happen
at specific times of the year. For instance, in parts
of the American South, the day after Thanksgiving is the
traditional day to plant bulbs. It would be fine to
plant bulbs earlier in November, even in early December, but

(02:02):
the rule of thumb to plant the day after Thanksgiving
helps ensure that what needs to happen sometime around then
actually happens. And hey, most people need a little physical
activity the day after Thanksgiving. Since many people have the
day off work, there are fewer extra there are fewer
excuses for not spending some daylight hours outside. That is

(02:27):
a good anchor date. Here where I live near Philadelphia,
the day after Thanksgiving would be a little late to
plant bulbs, since we've usually had a number of good
frosts by then, but I can choose another anchor date,
like my daughter's early October birthday. We often think of
getting our flu shots right around Halloween, and I start

(02:50):
making my annual camp spreadsheet right around the new year
early enough to get discounts and to almost always get
the dates that I want. By setting smart anchor dates,
you can get a jump on almost anything where it
is problematic to wait. I have found that making summer
vacation plans around Thanksgiving means there are a lot more

(03:14):
choices than if I am making those plans in June.
So think about what you need to do periodically. Is
there a memorable date like your birthday or a holiday
right around this time so that you could attach the
task to that memorable date. Once you start doing this,

(03:36):
the anchor date will help you remember to do the
task on schedule from year to year. Eventually this will
be automatic day after Thanksgiving time to plant those bulbs.
But in the near term it's a good idea to
use a calendar item to reinforce that association. So, for example,

(03:57):
you might put a note on your calendar for next
Halloween to go get a flu shot and to create
a calendar item for the next year. Then the cycle
repeats itself and the things you want to have happened happen.
How awesome is that. In the meantime, this is Laura,

(04:21):
thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.
You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.
Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

(04:42):
Before Breakfast pod. That's B the number four then Breakfast
p o D. You can also shoot me an email
at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before
Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
should I look forward to staying intell much. Before Breakfast

(05:07):
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