What I’m Reading: The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

As a coach, I am fascinated by what motivates a person to take action and make a proactive change.

As such, I am constantly on the look-out for terrific resources to help you optimize your chance for success.

Gretchen Rubin is an author, podcaster and speaker who I turn to for insightful resources, again and again. One of the foremost experts on happiness, Rubin is the epitome of translating desire into productive, life-affirming results.

Rubin’s new book, The Four Tendencies, helps you self-identify what drives you, whether it be inner or outer expectations, or both. The key takeaway is that you increase your chance for success by identifying and accepting your tendencies, instead of viewing them as a personal fault. By gaining awareness regarding how you are motivated, your can craft a plan working with your type instead of against it or in spite of it. This can make a huge difference.

For example, taking her quiz and reading her book, I self-identify as an Obliger, meaning that it is relatively easy for me to meet expectations that others have for me, but harder for me to meet expectations I have for myself. That is one reason I work with a personal trainer who expects me to show up to work out with her twice per week. With that accountability and a game she and I play, I have recently achieved a long-elusive goal: for the past year I have worked out consistently four times per week.

Intrigued? Consider picking up her new book and or dive into the quiz and see where you land.

And, if this food for thought provokes you even more, consider an intro session to find out how we can break open this discovery and help you work toward achieving your goals.