CSChristoffel SneijdersThree brains: head, heart and gut for decisions you keep deferring

Succes? Willpower, discipline or micro-habits are not the solution; use your evolutionary biology

3 Jan 2022 · 3 min

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2:37

In this presentation, Christoffel Sneijders argues that conventional approaches to achieving lasting success—willpower, discipline, or micro‑habits—miss a crucial factor: the interaction of our three decision‑making systems, which he labels the head, heart, and gut. He cites research indicating that less than 50 % of people achieve their intended outcomes, highlighting a gap between logical intention and actual behavior. Sneijders challenges the common notion of a “subconscious mind,” asserting that there is no distinct subconscious entity, and instead reframes decision‑making in terms of the three brains. To illustrate evolutionary principles, he introduces the sea cucumber, a creature that lacks both a heart and a head, using it as a metaphor for missing decision‑making components. The core of his training program is to help participants become aware of which of the three brains is blocking, supporting, or silent in any given decision, thereby enabling more durable results. Audience feedback is positive, reinforcing the perceived value of this perspective.

Chapters

Welcome about 3 brains: head, heart, and gut, and how they connect, and how in my perception they're the missing link for long-lasting results. What is the research showing about how good we are or how much results we deliver? Then it's actually less than 50%. So then how do we make actually our decisions? Do you have those moments that you procrastinate? Now, does it make sense To do that. Now logically it doesn't make sense because you made the decision I'm going to do it now, and then then the now is there, and then I don't feel like it. And we have all excuses to to not do it. So just imagine we make a decision that's logical, and we're requesting it. So you're It's not logical, so your head cannot be in charge of that. So then the question is, who is inside you in charge of making that decision? Some people say that's your subconscious mind, and I right away challenge, what is your subconscious mind? Because where is that? There is no subconscious mind. This was the old idea: neocortex, limbic brain, reptilian brain. I'm going to introduce you to a living creature Still alive now. And I'm curious if you could put in the chat which creature is this. It is a sea cucumber. But do you know what's the most remarkable of this living creature? It is missing 2 things. What does it not have? It does not have a heart. It does not have a head. Happening— what is blocking long-lasting results which you now actually became aware of? Your 3 brains have different responses to a decision. So how do you analyze that? And that's what we do in the training. We help you to become aware, hey, which brain is blocking a decision, which brain is actually giving a solution, and which brain is silent. Because if you know that, you know in this case, will there be long-lasting results? Nope, no change. And this is what happens to many of us. We make a decision and afterwards we regret it that we did not follow our gut instinct, we did not follow our heart, or we did not think this through.
I have attended a lot of seminars during this week and this was by far the best I have attended. So thank you so, so much.