The Habit That Will Break You—If You Don’t Break It First

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  When there's any conflict at work or home, what's closest to your first reaction - the reaction that frustrates you the most - (not how you wish you would react)?

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  • A.
    Shut it down however you can. Fast. You don’t want fallout or for it to get worse. It's just not worth it.
  • B.
    Go silent in the moment. You can't come up with the words and it feels awful because your body goes on high alert .
  • C.
    You patch it up before you can even think it through. Make it okay even when you know it's not all your fault. You keep the peace first and beat yourself up later for agreeing/accepting all the blame, etc.
  • D.
    You control the chaos. You say what you think needs to be said in the moment. You speak before you can even think about the repercussions and later you might regret it, feel guilty, worry you overreacted or just made things worse.
• 2.
  You're in a meeting and someone throws passive-aggressive shade your way that kind of blindsides you. What does your instinct make you do "in the moment?"

  • A.
    You want to melt under the desk or get out of there as fast as possible. You know they are out of line, you're frustrated, but you wish you were anywhere else but right there being singled out.
  • B.
    You clap back or call them out before you can even think about it but then question if you overreacted or should have just stayed quiet. You worry maybe you just made things worse.
  • C.
    You laugh it off or apologize, maybe you agree with stuff you know better about and then you replay it 400 times in your head that night.
  • D.
    You stay quiet, can't think. Can't even talk. You're totally blindsided. You want to say something but maybe the words just don't come. Your body reacts instead- maybe your heart rate increases, you flush, the back of your neck gets hot, you tense, sometimes it can be so bad you worry you are "panicking."
• 3.
  You're overwhelmed and someone asks for a 'quick favor.' What feels like the closest way your instinct has reacting first?

  • A.
    You fumble to answer or decide what to do in the moment. You should probably say no but you can't quite find the right words to push back.
  • B.
    You just wish you weren't even having this conversation - they shouldn't be asking you in the first place - you just want to disappear rather than deal with it at all.
  • C.
    Say yes then get mad at yourself because you know you definitely should have said no.
  • D.
    Say sure. Assume you will just have to figure it out like you always do. Because you know if you don't do it, it probably won't get done - or atleast get done right.
• 4.
  Someone gives you negative or passive agressive 'feedback' you didn't ask for. What’s your instinct's first reaction?

  • A.
    Smile while your body freaks. Thank them. Immediately show appreciation for their honesty - then wish you had responded differently in the moment rather that how you reacted - again.
  • B.
    Call it out—then worry that you overreacted.
  • C.
    Nod and the get out of there. Then, ofcourse, obsess about it privately.
  • D.
    Blank out and forget all of the stuff you had rehearsed. Maybe you numb out. Can’t process. Then your brain kick starts later and you remember what you "wish you had said" and beat yourself up for not saying it right then.
• 5.
  You realize someone’s upset with you—but they won’t say it directly. But you just know.  What sounds like the closest way your instinct responds in the moment?

  • A.
    Back off. You don’t want the fall out or the fight.
  • B.
    Confront them - You just can’t stand the tension.
  • C.
    Avoid them completely and shut down before it escalates - but you wish you could do something about it up. You ruminate about what you should have done instead.
  • D.
    Apologize first - even if I don’t know what you did.
• 6.
  You leave a conversation and keep replaying it in your head. Why?

  • A.
    You froze up in the moment - now you're beating yourself up over not responding the way you knew you "should have." Of course, you come up with the perfect thing to say hours later - again.
  • B.
    You apologized or said "yes" in the moment before you could think it through - again. And you knew better but once again did or said "yes/apologized/agreed/took responsibility that wasn't yours/thanked them, etc" and it's SO FRUSTRATING you can't stop accommodating in the moment.
  • C.
    You said way too much, maybe you clapped back or spoke before you could think it through, and now you're spiraling about it, worried you just made it worse, or wished you could control your reactions better.
  • D.
    You let it slide, maybe you ended the conversation as fast as possible, maybe you thought - "it's just not worth it," but you kind of wish you had stayed engaged and "done it differently."

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  You’re the Lion - Fight

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  Instinct: Fight. | Pattern: Overfunctioning.You lead. You fix. You handle it—because someone has to.But your nervous system? It’s stuck in go mode.This is what breaks you:You override your own capacity—then call it leadership.You’re the one they call when everything’s on fire.And you always answer. Even when it burns you.But here’s the truth:Your fire isn’t the problem.It’s what happens when power runs without a plan.You fight for what’s right.You carry what’s heavy.You see what’s broken—and you try to fix it.Not because you’re wrong.But because you’ve been trained to do more than your share.Your custom strategy is on the way.Inside: one science-backed shift to interrupt the overfunctioning reflex—and start leading from clarity, not cortisol.⸻Don’t let your strength become your storm.Go grab your personalized cheat sheet now.And remember:Not everything broken is yours to repair.⸻➤ Want the upgraded version with the full Burnout Equation + Lion Strategy Map™?Now! Check your inbox for your personalized cheat sheet - crafted just for you!
• 2.
  You’re the Deer - Flight

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  Instinct: Flight. | Your habit: Conflict AversionYou disappear fast. Not because you’re weak—because it used to keep you safe.You ghost. You brace. You overthink every tone shift in the room.When things get tense, you say, “I’m fine” while your nervous system whispers: “Run.”But here’s the thing:That freeze-and-flee instinct?It’s not cowardice. It’s code written by survival.You learned to stay agreeable. To avoid escalation.You made yourself invisible—because invisibility used to equal safety.But avoidance doesn’t protect your peace anymore.Now it just keeps you out of the conversation.The Deer isn’t broken. She’s brilliant.She’s fast. She’s observant. She knows when something feels off.But she was never taught how to stay in the moment—without vanishing from herself.Now it’s time to teach your instinct a new skill:How to stay present without shutting down.How to speak without spiraling.Check your inbox for your free, personalized cheat sheet:One science-backed micro-strategy to help you pause the flight—and take up space without fear.You don’t need more confidence. You need nervous system safety—and it’s waiting in your inbox.
• 3.
  You’re the Fox - Fawn

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  Instinct: Fawn | Your habit: Shapeshifting for safetyYou say yes when you mean no.You shapeshift fast—so you don’t get burned.Your habit: People-Pleasing for ProtectionYou over-agree, over-accommodate, and scan every room like a threat assessment.Not because you’re weak—but because blending in used to keep you safe.You’ve been praised for being easy, adaptable, drama-free.But inside? You’re exhausted. You’re editing yourself for survival.This isn’t insecurity—it’s intelligence.The Fox isn’t fake. She’s trained.High emotional radar. Master reader of subtext.You’ve been rewarded for muting your needs to avoid backlash or rejection.But here’s the truth:People-pleasing isn’t your personality. It’s a reflex.A brilliant one—but one that’s now costing you your voice.You don’t need to prove your worth through harmony.You don’t need to stay likable to stay safe.You just need a new strategy.👉 Check your inbox for your free, personalized cheat sheet:A neuroscience-backed reframe to stop shapeshifting for survival—and start showing up as you.It’s time to lead with your fire—not your fear.You read the room before you read yourself.But people-pleasing isn’t your personality. It’s a practiced survival habit.And it's a good one- based in evolutionary science.
• 4.
  You’re the Owl - Freeze

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  Instinct: FreezeYou analyze everything—but act on nothing… until it’s too late.Your habit: Overthinking into InactionYou observe, over-prepare, and go silent under pressure.Not because you don’t care—because your system is running survival math.High volume? Criticism? Surprise conflict?Your brain hits pause before you can speak, move, or decide.This isn’t indecision. It’s protection.Your Owl is brilliant.She sees the risk. She anticipates the fallout.And she’d rather freeze than make the wrong move.But now the freeze is costing you more than it’s saving you.You’re not broken. You’re buffering.Stillness used to buy you safety.Now? It’s time for it to buy you strategy.You don’t need to fix the freeze.You need to unstick it—and learn to move without regret.Because speaking too late isn’t better than not speaking at all.👉 Check your inbox for your free, personalized cheat sheet:One neuroscience-backed strategy to interrupt the freeze, rewire your response, and finally say the thing—while it still matters.You don’t need more confidence.You need capacity.Let’s build it.