Well, it’s groundhog day. . . again. And that means two things.
First, my family will be eating the order Phil Connors (Bill Murray) places when he’s pulled over by the cops: burgers, milkshakes, coke, and flapjacks. A tradition worth adopting, believe me.
Second, it’s tax time! Groundhog day naturally kicks off the tax season in my household, and may I suggest for you, as well. Part of setting up a financial routine includes linking behaviors to events that are already occurring. When we work with clients, we help them create “linked behaviors” so that money management is naturally cued off of existing dates and activities. Using Groundhog day, and a favorite family meal, naturally puts me in the mindset to pull out my tax folder. Another tradition worth adopting.
Linking behaviors, is based on Pavlovian or Conditional conditioning, which has proven in animals and humans to cause a particular behavioral response, based upon some outside stimulus.
In a Pavlovian conditioning experiment, a contingency is arranged between the presentation of the neutral stimulus, and the delivery of a biologically significant outcome, so that the animal learns that a specific stimulus predicts the impending delivery of the unconditioned stimulus.
Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience, 2010
Famously, “pavlov’s dog” was trained to begin salivating at the sound of a bell, because the dog had learned that it would receive a tasty reword when the bell sounded.
We can use this concept to “train” ourselves to do tasks, like looking through a tax folder or downloading a tax statement on your mortgage, by cuing off of other events. I use Groundhog Day, and the delicious meal order as my “cue” (external stimulus). It’s a tasty way to get my brain thinking about a topic that isn’t my favorite. And it’s one of the best ways to make progress with your money management, as well!
Something to think about
What is something that occurs each year that could prompt me to take an action?
Something to do
- Eat flapjacks (no, it’s never too early – or late – for flapjacks)
- Run a test on an upcoming event that “stands out” to you (Valentine’s Day, SuperBowl, etc.) with a behavior you want to adopt (organizing tax documents anyone?)
Photo by Steve Wrzeszczynski