“I did it because I knew you’d ask me.”
I hear this from clients all the time. 😅 And here’s why it matters:
Left to our own devices, we’ll opt out of our goals, plans, and what’s best for us because our brains are hardwired for comfort. The basal ganglia—your brain’s habit center—will always choose the familiar path, even when it’s not serving you, and especially when it gets tough to follow through on your commitment.
There’s a hack: When you add non-shame-based accountability to your plan, your odds of achieving your goal shoot up to 65%.
Want to increase your odds to 95%? Have a specific, scheduled accountability appointment with that person (Did you know monthly 1:1 calls are included in my Executive Warrior Woman Coaching Group? 😉).
Here’s the key: non-shame-based accountability. When your nervous system associates accountability with judgment or failure, it triggers a threat response that shuts down your prefrontal cortex—the exact part of your brain you need to follow through on your commitment and achieve what matters to you.
Take a deep breath. Who’s holding you accountable to what matters most? If no one comes to mind, that’s your answer.
