Why bother to discern UAC’s? Underlying Automatic Commitments are what continually hold you back from making a positive change in your life. UACs stop you from getting a new job, or creating financial security, or finding someone to share your life with. Without discerning the UAC that is preventing you from accomplishing what you set out to achieve, you will repeatedly make the same mistakes that stop you from reaching your objective.

What are some unwanted behaviors you currently have in your life? Using this process, can you now see what might be behind these outcomes?
* Putting too much pressure on myself to….well….be perfect and do everything! I know that I’ve always been “the good girl”, the one who held my family up through a divorce and put the needs of my friends, family and boyfriends before my own needs. While my relationships are still an enormous priority in my life, I know that the only way to be happy, healthy, and unstressed is to say “no” when I don’t want to do something. It seems easy, but it’s a really tough challenge for me!
* I’ve been having difficulty sticking to a budget, even though I’ve been very anal about putting one together every month, recording my purchases, and putting money towards my debt. When I reflected as to why I fall short every month, I realized that my social life will always come before my savings, so I spend more money than I allot to meals with friends, drinks with friends….anything with friends! I’m now able to recognize that I don’t want my social life to suffer because I don’t want to spend the money, so I’m (a) turning down social invitations that I’m not thrilled to go to and (b) trying to cut corners in other areas of my life, like eating out for lunch.

With this new insight, what would be an empowering action to take? I can’t wait to say no! I’ve worked on a good excuse-without-being-an-excuse with my coach and I’m just waiting for the opportunity to try it! I also recently made the decision to take all of my non-salary income (from acting work and freelancing with an event planning company) and put it towards my debt, so I’ll be able to be at parties guilt-free.

Why is it important not to view UAC’s as bad or wrong? Once you find your UAC, you can recognize what’s “wrong” and start to make it “right.” Without realizing that I’m not willing to sacrifice my social life for my credit card debt, I would have just kept digging myself into the same hole I’ve been digging myself into all these months. When I did recognize my UAC, I started thinking of other ways to accomplish my goal of paying off my debt.

Why is knowledge of an UAC helpful in making constructive choices? Because you’re aware of how you usually act - and how your usual actions don’t lead to successful decisions. Once you know your UAC, you’re able to figure out whether you want to change your perspective, or “embrace it” and figure out how to succeed around it.