Do you ever have trouble sticking to your business goals? You should know about Gretchen Rubin’s work. She’s the author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, and she’s created a model called The Four Tendencies addressing how we form good habits and get things done. She discovered that we don’t all respond to expectations in the same way. Some people respond to the expectations of others (Obligers), some people respond to their own expectations (Questioners), some people resist both inner and outer expectations (Rebels), and the final group responds to inner and outer expectations alike (Upholders).
When you know what kinds of expectations motivate you the most, you can set up your work life to help you take advantage of that. Stop trying to change yourself. Find the solutions that work with your natural tendency.
Now go take her quiz to find out which category you land in.
As I started this blog series, I was curious which categories my therapist clients would be in. A lot of those people were kind enough to take the quiz and tell me. The largest group was Obligers, then came Questioners. Rebels and Upholders made up a very small number.
Read these posts to find out how to adjust your business if you’re a Rebel, a Questioner, or an Obliger. Today I’ll talk about the final group, Upholders.
To the Upholder:
This is my category, so I’m intimately familiar with it’s advantages and pitfalls.
You respond to both inner expectations AND outer expectations. Upholders get a lot done. When you set a deadline for yourself, you usually follow through. If a deadline comes from someone else, perhaps an accountant, coach, or web designer, you’ll follow through with that too.
As an upholder entrepreneur, you can use your ability to get stuff done to your advantage. Once you know the goals and tasks that will make you successful, you’ll probably accomplish them.
It’s not all pretty for you though, Upholder. You can get a bit neurotic. If you set an overly ambitious deadline for yourself, you feel distressed if you don’t meet it. Sometimes you meet that deadline when it would be better to just move it.
With so many expectations from both the outside and the inside, you live with a lot of pressure.
Upholder, you need to give yourself realistic expectations so that you can meet them without distress. Be strategic and choosy about what goals and projects you take on. You’re at risk of taking on too many practice building tasks at once, and when you do that, you lose your sense of focus.
Is it time to create a strategy to build a unique private practice? Apply for a free 20-minute consultation with me now.