133. Three Rebels and an Upholder
Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendencies
What’s the best way to motivate yourself? Throughout my life, I tried different methods of getting myself to do some things. This includes time blocking, making lists and having accountability buddies.
What I realized after reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies is that there is a reason why none of those things worked. I’m a Rebel tendency, which means that I don’t respond well when other people tell me what to do OR when I try to tell myself what to do.
Sammie and I are revisiting a fan favorite episode of Build A Wealthy Spirit, episode #10: Three Rebels and an Upholder [The Four Tendencies]. Since we originally aired this episode, people have reached out to us and let us know how powerful it was for them to learn about their own tendencies. My friend Margaret even told me she shared this episode with her friends, family members, and even people she was dating. Gretchen Rubin’s four tendencies still hold strong today, so we wanted to share this episode again.
Gretchen Rubin wrote The Four Tendencies after studying how people are motivated. In her research, she found that people are often internally or externally motivated. Sometimes, people need to know the “why” behind something before moving forward with the task (looking at you Questioners).
An easy way to understand and remember the tendencies are Gretchen Rubin’s pithy quote for each one.
Upholders: Discipline is my freedom
Questioners: I’ll comply—if you convince me why
Obligers: You can count on me; and I’m counting on you to count on me
Rebels: You can’t make me, and neither can I
Sammie and I share our own tendencies and how any person can use the knowledge of their tendency to better understand and motivate themselves. Sammie shares how knowing the four tendencies helps her approach each of her patients differently. Some people simply need to be told what to do, others need to know the science behind the why, some need accountability and finally Rebels often like to stick it to the man.
Show Notes
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin
We love hearing from our Build A Wealthy Spirit community! Let us know in the comments if you take the four tendencies quiz, or if this information helped you recognize something new in a friend or family member!