The One Thing That Changes Everything - Why Growth Requires Resistance

Last week we talked about why coaching fails.

The core truth?
Most people want change—but they don’t want to be challenged.
They want to grow—but they resist doing what’s hard.

That’s not just a mindset issue.
It’s a biological one.

There is a specific part of your brain that only grows when you do the thing you don’t want to do.

Not when you’re inspired.
Not when you feel aligned.
Not when you’re motivated.

Only when you feel resistance… and move anyway.

If you understand this one thing, you’ll finally understand why:

• Your motivation fades
• Your calendar slips
• Your best intentions stall
• And why most people never actually change

Doing what you don’t want to do isn’t just part of the process.
It is the process.

The Brain Science Behind It

The part of your brain responsible for effort, willpower, and mental endurance is called the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC).

Here’s what’s remarkable about it:

• It only grows when you do something you don’t want to do.
• It doesn’t grow when you do things you enjoy—even if they’re hard.
• It’s stronger in people who consistently push through resistance.

So when you:

• Avoid the tough pricing conversation
• Skip the check-in call
• Push the system aside and wing it...

You’re not just avoiding discomfort—you’re training your brain to avoid challenge.

But when you do the thing you don’t want to do—again and again—
You are literally rewiring your brain for strength, discipline, and mastery.

This is why motivation isn’t enough.
And why grinding harder doesn’t work if you’re avoiding what matters most.

This Is the Foundation of Everything We Coach

As we covered last week, most agents think they’re stuck because they don’t have the right plan.
But the truth is, they haven’t built the brain that allows them to execute that plan.

That’s why The Performance Six isn’t just a checklist.
It’s a rewiring system—designed to create resistance and walk you through it.

Every standard requires you to face resistance.
That’s by design. Because that’s what grows the part of your brain that allows you to change.

Why "Grinding Harder" Doesn't Work

You can’t out-hustle biology.

You’ve already been working hard.
But if you’re avoiding the uncomfortable parts—the ones that trigger fear, boredom, rejection, or uncertainty—
you’re working around your growth, not through it.

Effort without resistance is just motion.
Effort against resistance is transformation.

The Micro-Suck Challenge

Try this:

1. Pick one thing you’ve been resisting.
2. Do it daily for 14 days.
3. Watch what happens—not to your results, but to your brain.

Ideas:

• Make one call with no agenda
• Sit with a feeling instead of reacting
• Say no to a low-value request
• Time-block and stick to it
• Tell a client the hard truth
• Do one thing slow and well instead of rushing five things

This isn’t about productivity.
It’s about neuroplasticity.
It’s about becoming the kind of person who does what others won’t—because that’s who your business, your clients, and your life need you to be.

The Bottom Line

You’re not failing because you’re not trying hard enough.
You’re stuck because you’re avoiding the very things that would rewire your capacity.

But the second you start leaning into resistance…
The second you do what you don’t want to do—on purpose, and repeatedly…
You begin building the brain you need to succeed.

You don’t need a new strategy.
You need reps.
And resistance.
And the willingness to feel it, and move anyway.

Rewired for Mastery

If last week was about waking up to the lies we believe about growth…

This week is about telling yourself the truth:

You don’t grow by doing what you love.
You grow by doing what you resist.

And the moment you accept that…
The real change begins.