Getting to Zero (2021) is a guide to dealing with Conflict in intimate, high-stakes relationships – those with your family, good friends, and partners. It describes a process for “getting to zero” by achieving resolution and closure after conflict.

Who is it for?

• Conflict avoiders
• Those who project childhood experiences onto others
• All who want to resolve conflict in their interpersonal relationships

Recommendation

When a relationship breaks down, blaming the other person is tempting. But sometimes you’re the problem. Learn to take accountability for your conflicts and to handle them with compassion and grace. Improving your conflict management skills is an investment in your personal growth, says relationship expert Jayson Gaddis. Don’t let negative early childhood experiences determine the quality of your relationships, Gaddis urges. Start showing up and presenting a better version of yourself in your relationships today.

Take-Aways

• Conflicts bubble up in your relationships when you feel threatened by excessive closeness or distance.
• Abandon your victim mind-set and step into your power as the author of your life’s narrative.
• Develop a secure attachment style, becoming a “relational leader.”
• Commit to resolving your inner conflict.
• Cultivate self-regulation and self-awareness when adversity strikes.
• Overcome conflicts and misunderstandings by strengthening your listening skills.
• Gracefully navigate the most common topics that trigger disagreements.
• Don’t opt for coping strategies that create relationship dead-ends and impede reconnection.
• Pain and conflict are teachers that reveal your true self and potential growth areas.

Learn how to resolve conflict and get to zero.

What does the word conflict mean to you? For many, it conjures up visions of violence, political discord, and war. But these are extreme forms of conflict. What about conflict in your close relationships?

People often try to get by without resolving conflict in their interpersonal relationships. But there are times when conflict can be just what you need – conflict could save your marriage, for example, or help rekindle an important relationship. In this summary, you’ll learn how to “get back to zero” after a conflict – that is, get to the point where the conflict is resolved and you have the level of connection you desire.

The advice in this summary isn’t intended to resolve trauma or abusive relationships. For those kinds of situations, please seek help from trauma specialists or other resources that will support you.

In this summary, you’ll learn

• how to productively listen and speak during conflict;
• the reasons for five of the most common conflicts; and
• how making agreements can ease your conflicts.

Conflict is usually the result of either too much closeness or too much distance.

Have you ever really thought about how conflict arises? The specific reasons vary, but generally, conflict occurs when you feel threatened. That can mean a physical or emotional threat, or one that relates to your identity, property, safety, health, morals, or the people you love.

When it comes to relationships, threatened feelings usually arise as a result of one of two things: too much closeness or too much distance. Both can make you feel threatened – get too close to someone and you start worrying about being attacked; grow too distant, and you’ll worry about abandonment.

Too much closeness can occur when someone moves toward you in a confrontational way or raises his voice. Behaviors like these feel like acts of aggression, and that sense is only heightened if the other person is actually upset – his body language can make him seem physically bigger than he actually is. The automatic response is for you to get defensive.

Too much distance, on the other hand, can make you feel that the other person doesn’t care about you or is even about to leave you. This happens when someone gives you the silent treatment, abruptly leaves, slams doors, or cuts you off during a discussion. And in today’s hyperconnected, instant-messaging world, a person not returning your call or answering your messages can create too much distance, too. But possibly the worst culprit is simply silence, which leaves you in a state of not knowing what’s going on.

It’s normal to feel triggered by either closeness or distance. But staying triggered can have long-term effects on both your physical and mental health. Fortunately, you can do something about it.

Start by identifying your coping mechanisms, or disconnectors. There are basically four of these.

The first is posturing, which involves attacking or blaming the other person to protect yourself from harm. The second is collapsing, the opposite of posturing. Here, you implode or shut down and feel that the situation is all your fault. With seeking, the third coping mechanism, you feel insecure and seek out the other person to try to reinitiate connection; this, however, can end up driving that person farther away. And the fourth coping mechanism, avoiding, is when you move away and create distance between you.

Identifying how you disconnect allows you not only to recognize when you’re doing so and take action accordingly, but also to forewarn people close to you so they can help you during conflict.

Conflict resolution starts by identifying someone with whom you want to get to zero.

Do you have an unresolved issue with anyone in your life? If you’re like most people, you probably do – and chances are, leaving things unresolved with that person is a needless drag on your emotional energy. If so, it’s time to get to zero – by thinking inside the box.

How? Well, start by grabbing a pen and a sheet of paper. Then it’s time to sit down and make your first conflict box.

To make a conflict box, draw a box and separate it into nine rows. In the top row, write the name of the person with whom you have an unresolved issue. Then, in the next row, write up to five words that describe what that person did or didn’t do. In the third row, describe how you feel when you think about the person – pissed off, annoyed, or anxious, for example. In row four, score those feelings on a scale from one to ten, with zero your baseline and ten the feeling at its most extreme. On the fifth line, add how long the conflict has been going on. Then label each row with a brief description of what it’s about, if that helps you keep track of things.

Once you’ve completed these rows, think carefully about the person, the situation, and everything you’ve just written. Then ask yourself: Do you want to resolve the conflict? Have you tried everything you can to do so? If not, maybe you just can’t face the prospect of confrontation with that person. If that’s the case, maybe it’s better to work on getting to zero with someone else first. Or, if the truth is that you just see that person as a lost cause, be honest about that and pick someone you really care about and want to get to zero with.

When you have the right person, you can add the sixth row to your conflict box. Take some responsibility for the conflict by describing the part you’ve played in it. What was your behavior? What did you do or not do? You shouldn’t feel that you did something wrong or that you’re the victim here. You’re merely taking some ownership.

The conflict box you’ve just created is a valuable tool that contains all the pertinent information about your conflict. It will allow you to reflect on the conflict as you move forward with getting to zero. Keep it handy, as you’ll return to it in a couple of chapter.

How you grew up affects how you approach your high-stakes relationships.

Do you feel anxious when your partner doesn’t return your text messages? Do you sometimes feel you want to shut the noise of the world out and find a space for yourself away from other people, including your loved ones?

These kinds of feelings arise from your relational blueprint – that is, imprints from past experiences with high-stakes relationships. Those are your relationships with your family, good friends, and partner, and they affect how you’ll relate to others for the rest of your life.

Understanding your personal relational blueprint is important if you want to be able to get to zero after conflict. Even if you didn’t have any good role models as a child, this understanding will help you empathize during conflict.

The foundation of your relational blueprint is your attachment relationship – that is, your primary relationship. You formed a primary relationship with at least one caregiver – the person, or people, you relied on to keep you alive when you were just an infant. Your life experience, especially how well you do with relationships, depends on how secure you felt during your childhood. And what makes for a secure childhood? A secure attachment relationship. In order for an attachment relationship to be secure, it must meet your four relational needs. You must feel supported and challenged, safe, seen, and soothed. This gives a stable base for adulthood. When you become an adult, you and the people with whom you form high-stakes relationships mutually meet each other’s relational needs. When you were a child, your caregivers got you back to a good place after conflicts, and that built your confidence.

But of course not everyone relates to that. If your caregiver was too distant or too close, you probably developed an insecure attachment. This can lead you to shut down emotionally, feel that relationships are unsafe, and even feel disconnected from life. You also become unable to work through conflicts in your high-stakes relationships.

Now, unresolved issues in relationships, called disconnects, are normal. But resolving issues through a process of reconnection will eventually get you to zero – a state of connection. The way you now approach this conflict repair cycle – which goes from connection to disconnection to reconnection before returning to connection – has been influenced by how adults in your life did this when you were a child.

Some people feel disconnected their whole lives – even with their 500 Facebook friends. But you don’t have to go through life being a slave to your relational blueprint. By learning how to work through conflict, you can rewire your brain to understand the normal conflict repair cycle and become master of your own relational destiny.

Conflict resolution requires you to understand the price of conflict avoidance.

According to self-care expert and author Cheryl Richardson, “if you avoid conflict to keep the peace, you start a war inside yourself.”

Often, children feel they have two personalities. The first is free, wild, and innocent – the true self – while the other is constricted in the face of perceived threats and conforms to the rules of the environment it finds itself in – the strategic self.

These two personalities often pull in different directions and create inner conflict, which later in life can make you feel like something isn’t right. When you experience conflict in your adult life, you have an opportunity to move closer to your true self. That’s one reason to bite the bullet and face conflicts in your life rather than avoid them.

Ready to start dealing with conflict in your life? Grab your conflict box and look at the name of the person you wrote there. If you want to settle your conflict with that person, then, realistically, you have two options. Option A is to dive in and be truthful – but doing so recklessly is risky, and the worst-case scenario is that it will end the relationship. Option B is business as usual – avoid the conflict and keep the peace.

That might sound appealing, but if the conflict continues and you don’t express your true self, it will eventually get to be too much, and the truth will come out anyway. Then you’ll have three issues on your hands: the initial conflict itself, the inner conflict caused by your avoidance, and the brand-new conflict you just created. That’s conflict creep, and option B – that is, avoidance – just creates more and more of it.

To see why, return to your conflict box. For now, skip row seven. In row eight, write down what you fear the other person will do if you tell the truth – for instance, blame you, cut you off, or leave. Then, in row nine, write down how you’ll feel if these fears come to pass. Use “I” statements if you can – for example, “I’ll feel hurt.”

When you explore your fears this way, it’s easy to see that when you choose option B, avoidance, what you’re really doing is protecting yourself from the consequences of speaking up.

Fortunately, there’s an option C: learning how to resolve conflict correctly. This allows you to be your true self and get back to the connection you want. By teaching you how to deal with conflict, option C moves you from option B to option A – that is, from avoidance to honesty.

To resolve conflict, learn to live with your own discomforts and with how the other person experiences conflict.

Relationships fail because, as the author puts it, “People don’t know how to work their shit out” – in other words, people don’t know how to handle their own reactions or those of the person they’re in conflict with. Think back to your past relationships that didn’t work out and you’ll probably find that this was the case – and that this made it impossible for the relationship to recover from even the smallest bumps in the road.

If you’re like most people, you probably find it difficult to deal with your own discomfort. But the good news is, you can learn. Start by identifying whether the source of your discomfort is internal or external. You might think another person has made you feel the way you do – but other people don’t cause your feelings, they just trigger them. Dealing with those feelings is on you.

The author calls the amount of emotional discomfort you can deal with your emotional discomfort threshold, or EDT. Without training or development, your EDT will likely remain small. But it’s possible to increase your EDT by using NESTR meditation – that stands for Number, Emotion, Sensations, Thinking, and Resourced.

Here’s how that works. Focus on the pain or discomfort you’re feeling. Number it on a scale of zero to ten, where zero is your comfort zone and ten is hardly holding things together. Then label the Emotion you’re feeling – maybe you’re happy, sad, or enraged. What physical Sensations are you feeling? What are you Thinking about? Then find a place in your being where you feel grounded and Resourced – think of how it feels when both your feet are firmly on the ground, for example. Your NESTR meditation should take around five minutes. With continued practice, you’ll become more accustomed to your feelings, and your number will lie closer to zero more often.

Just as important as getting used to your own feelings is learning to be comfortable with another person’s experience of conflict – understanding that will help the two of you reach resolution. One way is to consider the four relational needs you learned about earlier. Make sure that the other person feels supported and challenged, safe, seen, and soothed by you.

Continually offering these connectors in every conflict will help you get back to zero.

Listen until the other person feels understood.

Not everyone is a great listener. During conflict, this is particularly so, and you might find yourself becoming defensive very quickly. This often comes down to you and the person you’re in conflict with not understanding each other.

The author’s tool for understanding the person you’re in conflict with is called LUFU, which stands for Listen Until they Feel Understood. There are a few steps to it, but before you even get started, you’ll need presence; in other words, an awareness of your thoughts and feelings coupled with a focus on the other person.

The eight steps of LUFU are nonlinear, but try to stick to the order until you know the process well.

The first step is to be curious – not only about what the person is saying but also about how they’re saying it. You should be curious about what’s not being said.

The second is to practice reflective listening. Repeat back or reflect on what the person said to you. Use phrases like, “It sounds like . . . ”

The third step is confirming that you understand what the other person has said by using same-page questions like, “Am I following you so far?”

Fourth, practice active listening. This basically means pressing “pause”; not saying anything, but just interrupting the speaker so you can digest what’s been said. You could say, “Hold on – let me just make sure I’m with you so far.”

The fifth step, empathizing, is often the hardest. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and honestly consider your contribution to the conflict and its impact on that person. Add this to line seven of your conflict box, and express it to the other person with empathic statements such as “I see how angry you are.”

Sixth, validate what the other person has said. Three simple words can do this: “That makes sense.” You’re not saying the person is 100 percent right – just acknowledging how they see things. You do have to really get it, though.

Step seven is owning your part, and that can be as simple as saying, “Yes, I did do that.” But don’t explain or justify your actions – keep listening.

Your turn to speak comes after step eight, when you confirm you have a shared reality. Do this by asking questions like, “Do you feel understood now?” Of course, if the person says no to that last question, keep going with the LUFU!

Conflict resolution requires empathy.

Studies have found that between 70 and 93 percent of communication is nonverbal. So before you even start to speak, remember that your tone of voice, eye rolling, folding your arms, or getting distracted by your phone will all affect the person with whom you want to communicate. If you do these things, you’ll end up moving away from zero rather than toward it.

So sit back, relax your belly and shoulders, and check your tone of voice before you take your turn to speak!

The author uses the acronym SHORE for the speaking process, which stands for Speak Honestly with Ownership to Repair Empathetically. As you’ll remember, LUFU has eight steps. So does SHORE. Just like you did when you were listening, remember to be present.

First, consider the context. Explain why you want to reconnect – for example, because the relationship is important to you. Remember: you’re speaking because this is going to be good for both of you.

Second, own your part. Tell the other person your part in the conflict. Don’t justify yourself or become defensive. Be vulnerable if need be.

The third step is empathizing with the other person, just like you did during LUFU.

The fourth is validating the other person. It’s similar to what you did during LUFU, except that during LUFU you validate how the other person feels. During SHORE you’re validating what they’re going through.

In the fifth step, share the impact that the other person’s behavior is having on you. Talk about facts or observations about that person’s action or lack of action. Then about how it affected you, using “I feel” statements.

As a sixth step, you can make a behavior change request. For example, if the person is habitually late, you could ask them to let you know in the future if they won’t be on time. It helps if you start by saying something that you’ll change in your behavior first.

Then, talk about the lessons you’ve learned. You can also journal these and share them with the other person. What lessons have you learned together?

Finally, collaborate on agreeing how you can move forward. Create agreements, or a conflict plan.

Using the LUFU and SHARE techniques, you and the other person should be getting to zero – or close to it.

Understanding the five most common conflicts helps you resolve them.

Have you ever noticed that, in long-term romantic relationships, after you’ve moved on from the honeymoon period, little things like your partner leaving the top off of the toothpaste tube begin to bug you? Or worse, you realize that your values are different, or that there are just things you don’t like about the person?

The same things happen in families, close friendships, and even the workplace. When you don’t know how to work through conflict, resentments can fester. But thankfully, most conflicts boil down to five common scenarios – and when you understand them, you can work through them better.

First, there are surface fights. These are fights over superficial things, like how you stack the dishwasher or not returning messages. Be aware that there may be something else underlying the conflict, so identifying what you’re actually fighting about is key to resolution.

Second, there are childhood projections. Projecting occurs when you take a negative or positive past experience and project it onto someone else in the present. If your father always used to criticize you, for example, you might have a tendency to think that other people do that in your adult life, too. When you realize this, acknowledge it to your partner by saying something like, “Sometimes I project onto you that you’re criticizing me.”

Third, you might have security fights. Typically, one or both partners feel that the other isn’t fully in the relationship. Sex and money fights often fall into this category. Maybe you’re financially dependent on your partner, which makes you feel insecure. That feeling can lead to you not wanting to be intimate with your partner. Your fights will continue until you’re both 100 percent committed to the relationship.

Fourth, you may have value differences. You care deeply about your values – things like monogamy, parenting, and religion – but you notice that your partner doesn’t share those values. You can overcome these differences by setting up the context – why you want to reconnect – and then agreeing to confront those differences. Listen to and understand each other, and be open to change or compromise.

And fifth, resentments can occur when you try to change someone or someone tries to change you. If you don’t change, that person resents you, and if you do, you resent that person. If you make your expectations of each other clear, you can negotiate and find a better outcome that suits both of you.

You may encounter roadblocks to reconciliation, but you can ease conflict by making agreements.

When you were a child, you learned how to deal with conflict by watching the adults around you. But now, you need to take responsibility for how you do it rather than relying on what you learned.

Think for a moment about your own experience. Did adults comfort you when conflict happened? Did people own their part in the situation? Was there an apology, and who initiated it? Or did you simply find distractions such as sports, food, games, or friends to disconnect from the pain?

There are many roadblocks to reconnection that many adults use as coping strategies. They’re not effective, and demonstrate either an inability or unwillingness to work through conflict.

Attributing blame, for example, is simply a form of the posturing that you heard about in an earlier chapter. It shifts the responsibility for and the solutions to the conflict to somewhere “over there.” If, on the other hand, you blame yourself, that’s a form of collapse. It results in you thinking everything is your fault and your responsibility, nobody else’s. You can counteract both of these roadblocks by taking responsibility for your part in the conflict.

And apologies? More often than not, they’re rushed. They don’t get to the heart of the problem – a lack of understanding between two people. But if you know when to use your apology, and it works for the other person, it can get you to zero. Often, though, it should wait until the end of a LUFU process.

These roadblocks can be overcome by making agreements. These help you to stop being reactive and get you to zero faster. You should put these in place in your high-stakes relationships as soon as you can.

For instance, a prenuptial agreement helps protect both parties in a divorce, and a coparenting agreement can clarify when parents can pick up and drop off their kids. In business, partners also need legal agreements to protect the parties if the partnership becomes contentious.

You might also want to consider making an agreement to make clear agreements. You don’t want to find yourself in conflict with a partner about what the agreement actually means! And, of course, it’s essential that you both agree to own your own part in any future conflict and to be respectful of each other when communicating.

Summary

Conflicts bubble up in your relationships when you feel threatened by excessive closeness or distance.

The word “conflict” frequently conjures images of battles or violence. In reality, conflict doesn’t necessarily mean all-out warfare. Loosely defined, a conflict is “a rupture, disconnection or unresolved issue” between two or more people or within yourself, in cases of inner turmoil. Conflicts can unfold when you feel unwanted, intrusive closeness from another person – for example, if someone shouts at you or infringes on your personal space. They can also happen when too much distance triggers abandonment fears – if, for example, you sense that someone is ignoring or avoiding you.

You may find yourself behaving like an entirely different person during conflicts, perhaps throwing tantrums, giving others the silent treatment, ghosting people or being brutally mean. Such responses are attempts at self-preservation. If you’ve experienced pain in your past, you can falsely perceive conflict as threatening – just as a mistreated rescue dog might struggle to trust a loving new owner.

“When stressed, your scared animal takes over, and often in its attempts to make things better, it makes things worse.”

Reflect on your personal conflict narrative. Take inventory of your relationship with conflict, the dynamics you observed growing up, how conflict shows up in your relationships today, and whom you clash with most frequently. Rank your conflicts on a 0-to-10 scale, aspiring to “get to zero”: peaceful, contented resolution. When you resolve conflicts, you and your counterpart move from a state of disconnection to renewed connection, understanding and acceptance. Alas, when you’re at a 10 on the conflict management scale, you feel mired in a state of disconnection, you ruminate about the conflict, you feel hurt, and you harbor negative feelings about the person with whom you’re clashing.

Abandon your victim mind-set and step into your power as the author of your life’s narrative.

Most people react to conflict by blaming others, casting themselves in a victim role. While focusing on how others have hurt you is a natural reaction, if you lurk in “the valley of victimhood,” you’ll lose sight of your own agency. You’ll adopt an outside-in approach: To feel better about yourself, you’ll want other people to change their ways. Instead, try an inside-out approach: Focus on what you can change within yourself to inspire those outside you to change as well. Be wary of creating “a triangle of blame” – that is, triangulating your relationships in a dysfunctional way, viewing one person as a victim, another as a villain and a third as a rescuer. Gain control of your narrative by taking authorship of your life – that is, embracing conflict and conquering pain.

“If we want to get empowered, we must engage in conflict whenever it arises, because it’s the fast track to authorship.”

As an author, you can view your situation more objectively and identify alternatives to the status quo. Often, the only path to authorship lies in facing your discomfort. As Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius said, “What stands in the way becomes the way.” Stop running away from conflict. Be honest with yourself about what you really want, and identify the negative reactions and coping mechanisms blocking your way. Escape survival mode (if you’re in it) and make a conscious effort to give yourself the emotional and physical security you need to thrive.

Develop a secure attachment style, becoming a “relational leader.”

Reflect on how your early childhood experiences affect your adult relationships. Unless you make a deliberate change, your “relational blueprint” will continue to influence how you engage with others and navigate conflict. Research shows that children who learn that they can trust their parents and caregivers – and form reliable, supportive bonds with them – develop a “secure attachment style.” When you feel securely attached, your “relational needs” – the need to “feel safe, seen, soothed, and supported and challenged” in your close relationships – are satisfied. By contrast, children who don’t feel connected to caregivers, who perhaps feel neglected, shamed, unsafe or censured, tend to grow into “insecurely attached” adults who feel disconnected from their emotions and from other people.

“A secure attachment is a foundation from which to navigate the consistent challenges that life and relationships bring.”

Fortunately, your history needn’t determine your destiny. By developing the skills to reconnect with others after conflict arises, you can forge a brighter path for yourself. As you develop your conflict-resolution skills and work on meeting your own needs, you gain the perspective and capacity to be a relational leader. A relational leader has a growth mind-set. This sort of leader learns from challenging experiences and aspires to build skills, solve problems and master abilities. Becoming a relational leader requires admitting when you need help, taking personal responsibility for reaching your desired outcomes, and continuously learning and developing. It also means welcoming and participating in conflict when it arises.

Commit to resolving your inner conflict.

If you experience inner turmoil, you won’t achieve a sense of fulfillment. If your partner, family, spouse or friends don’t accept you for who you are – perhaps they see you as “too much” or “not enough” – you’ll strategically change yourself to gain acceptance. At times, it might feel easier to follow your “magnetic north” (who others want you to be) instead of your “true north” (who you really are). But when your true self and your strategic self are misaligned, you’ll experience pain and stress that could lead to depression.

To attract the relationships you want, you first must close the gap between your true and strategic selves. Perform a self-assessment. Be honest about who you are and which values you hold dear. Evaluate how you spend your time, money and energy, and list and clarify your priorities. This exercise will reveal your strategic self. Then ask yourself, “What would my values be if I wasn’t afraid?” Recall who you were as a child when you thought no one was watching. These answers will guide you toward your true north. If you find a stark discrepancy between your true and strategic selves, admit it. Figure out which fears are holding you back from being your true self. Remember, you have choices. Commit to steering your compass toward your true north, and give yourself a deadline.

Cultivate self-regulation and self-awareness when adversity strikes.

Developing self-regulation, or learning how to experience your feelings and sensations, while remaining present is an essential capacity. Think of self-regulation as the act of soothing uncomfortable emotions, thoughts and physical sensations without tuning out. Work on expanding your self-awareness by listening deeply to yourself. Reflect on any conflicts you’ve experienced: Clarify what you and others actually did, and assess how these actions affected one another. Ask yourself probing questions to get to the root of issues, such as, “What am I scared of right now?” and “Is this conflict new or repeating?”

“Self-regulation is staying with yourself in the midst of the storm and riding the waves of sensations and emotions no matter how big the waves are.”

When you feel scared or hypervigilant, identify internal and external resources that can help you regain your sense of control. For example, focusing on your breath might be an internal resource, while speaking to a friend you trust or listening to the sound of the ocean can act as a calming external resource. If you feel alone in the world when life’s conflicts manifest, aspire to be your own “anchor”: Show up for the part of you that might feel like a frightened or hurt child and act as your own caregiver. Practice pausing before taking action. When you feel triggered or overwhelmed, give yourself time to cool down and regain perspective.

Overcome conflicts and misunderstandings by strengthening your listening skills.

Conflicts often arise when participants don’t listen well to each other or when they lack a shared understanding. Leverage LUFU, a tool that means, “I’m going to listen (L) until (U) they feel (F) understood (U).” LUFU lets you help others get closer to zero on their own conflict scale, while helping them feel less afraid of connection. LUFU has eight steps:

1. “Curiosity” – Listen with curiosity to what the other person is saying rather than simply waiting for your turn to talk.
2. “Reflective listening” – Repeat what your opponents are saying in your own words, helping them feel heard.
3. “Same-page questions” – Gain clarity on what the other is trying to share, asking questions such as, “Am I following you so far?”
4. “Active listening” – If someone is delivering a monologue, don’t force yourself to remain quiet, as you’ll likely stop listening. Actively try to understand them, using statements such as: “Excuse me for interrupting, I just want to make sure I’m understanding you.”
5. “Empathy” – Imagine how you might feel if you were in the other person’s position.
6. “Validation” – When you validate others’ experiences, they feel cared for, and you reduce their defensiveness.
7. “Ownership” – Acknowledge your role in the conflict, accepting the impact your actions have had on the other.
8. “Completion through shared reality” – Before sharing your perspective on the conflict, make sure the other person feels understood.

Gracefully navigate the most common topics that trigger disagreements.

Learn tactics to navigate the five most common topics of fights:

1. The small stuff – People argue about the minutiae of their everyday lives. Get back to zero by trying to identify any issues underlying the tension. Consider simply saying: “It seems like you’re upset about something bigger, and I’d like to explore that.”
2. Childhood projections – People can project their past experiences onto the present moment. Take ownership of your projections when you find yourself recreating the family dynamics and patterns you knew as a child.
3. Security – Fights related to your feelings of security threaten your relational needs. If your partner is willing to work toward helping you feel secure, and vice versa, you can slowly build security, navigating abandonment fears together.
4. Value differences – It can be hard to overcome mismatched values in a relationship, such as religious, political or ideological differences. Try to navigate differences with maturity, agreeing to either accept them or admit that they’re deal-breakers.
5. Resentments – Resentment builds when you feel others are trying to force you to live by their values, as opposed to your own, and vice versa. For example, if a friend doesn’t value punctuality, but you do, you might come to resent being kept waiting every time you meet. Overcome resentments by owning them, framing them as unmet expectations and reflecting on whether you could better communicate your expectations.

Don’t opt for coping strategies that create relationship dead-ends and impede reconnection.

People often use 10 maladaptive coping strategies when experiencing conflict. These tendencies block reconnection:

1. “Blame” – You blame others for your problems, rather than taking responsibility.
2. “Apologies” – You apologize in a rushed, inauthentic way. Wait to apologize until after you’ve worked through the conflict, and while making eye contact with your partner.
3. “Distraction/avoidance” – You avoid discomfort and conflict at all costs, perhaps soothing yourself with alcohol or distracting yourself with social media.
4. “Time” – You believe that time, rather than effort, will fix your conflicts.
5. “Compartmentalization” – You deliberately postpone resolving your conflict, perhaps overworking to avoid thinking about it.
6. “FRACKing” – When people share their problems, you try to fix, rescue, advise, collude (taking sides, rather than objectively listening), or kill their perceptions of their experiences.
7. “Hope and pray” – You spend time wishing the situation would improve, rather than working to repair the relationship.
8. “Defensiveness” – You overly explain your actions or justify your behavior when facing critique.
9. “Stonewalling” – You cut people out of your life and inner circle rather than resolve relationship issues.
10. “Gaslighting” – You deny someone else’s lived experiences while framing conflicts as the other person’s fault.

Pain and conflict are teachers that reveal your true self and potential growth areas.

Facilitate your peace talks and avoid the common traps of conflict by first reaching a number of agreements with your partner. Resolve to set clear terms (for example, setting aside an hour per week to work on financial challenges); to commit to learning and growth; to accept conflict’s role in relationships; and to permit the person with the most emotional capacity to listen to another’s point of view to lead the conversation. Decide to examine why you assign blame to the other person; to each admit to a role in conflict; to make space for vulnerability; to speak respectfully; and to remain committed to the relationship and not threaten to leave. Agree to avoid raising conflicts over email or text and to take responsibility for learning how to repair conflicts.

“The messiness and uncertainty of conflict will unearth your essence.”

Within every conflict lies an opportunity to learn more about how you show up in relation to others while highlighting where you need to embrace more integrity and transparency. You don’t need to fear conflict when you have good conflict management skills: When you step into your role as a relational leader, you’ll remain empowered when conflict arises. Conflict is uncomfortable, but it is only in discomfort that you can discover your truest expression of self.

You may find yourself in a painful situation where a person you value refuses to work through conflict with you. Think of your pain as a guide, leading you toward meaningful change and the relationship outcomes you desire.

Conclusion

The key message in these summary is that:

When you’re in conflict with someone who’s one of your high-stakes relationships, get to zero by understanding how to listen and speak during conflict. Understand how you and the other person react during conflict, using NESTR meditation to help you deal with your own feelings. Then, by recognizing roadblocks to reconciliation and easing conflict by making agreements, you can get to zero faster.

Actionable advice: Get outside help.

If you’re finding it difficult to get to zero with your partner, consider getting outside help. Facilitated sessions with a trained couples therapist will help you both move forward. Make sure you’re both willing participants – if you or your partner isn’t fully onboard, there’s not a therapist in the world who can help you. And while you shouldn’t expect miracles if you’ve been bottling up issues for years, even though it may take some time, your therapist can help you get to zero.

About the author

Jayson Gaddis is an expert on interpersonal conflict and its resolution. Founder of the Relationship School, he’s also an author and speaker, and hosts the Smart Couple Podcast.

Jayson Gaddis is an artist, best-selling author, podcaster, speaker, executive coach, CEO, founder, human behavior specialist and relationship expert. He has trained more than 200 coaches in 11 countries and is the creator of Interpersonal Intelligence and Present Centered Relationship Coaching.

Review 1

Summary: “Getting to Zero” by Jayson Gaddis is a guide on conflict resolution. The book’s title refers to Gaddis’s intention of helping readers reduce the number of unsolved personal and interpersonal issues in their life to zero. The author, a relationship expert, focuses on the premise that every conflict presents a chance for personal growth and improved connection with others.

The book provides practical advice and tools to help readers navigate and resolve relationship conflicts, whether they be with a spouse, family member, friend, or colleague. Central to Gaddis’s approach is his emphasis on taking responsibility for personal behaviors and actions. He guides readers in recognizing and addressing their ‘triggers’, the emotionally challenging points that often initiate conflict.

Review: As a self-help book, “Getting to Zero,” can be seen as a practical guide for readers looking to strengthen their relationships and manage conflict better. Jayson Gaddis’s expertise in relationship coaching is evident in his understanding approach and his inclusion of practical steps.

The book’s focus on personal reflection for improved interactions with others might be useful to readers willing to do the introspective work necessary. It encourages understanding and compassion for oneself and for others involved in a conflict, an approach that may resonate with many readers. Its blend of personal anecdotes, client stories, and actionable step-by-step strategies provide an accessible pathway to gaining deeper awareness and undertaking more effective communication within relationships.

However, it should be noticed that actual effectiveness may largely depend on the reader’s willingness to face and resolve inner conflicts and the depth of personal issues. For certain sensitive or complex situations, additional professional help may be necessary. Each reader will have a different experience based on their unique circumstances.

Review 2

Getting to Zero: How to Work with People Who Drive You Crazy by Jayson Gaddis is a self-help book that aims to provide readers with practical strategies for effectively communicating and working with difficult people. The book focuses on the concept of “getting to zero,” which means achieving a state of emotional neutrality in challenging situations.

Gaddis, a relationship expert and coach, argues that most people tend to react to difficult situations with emotions such as anger, frustration, or anxiety. However, by learning to “get to zero,” readers can improve their communication skills, build stronger relationships, and achieve better outcomes in their personal and professional lives.

The book is divided into four parts. Part One explores the concept of “getting to zero” and why it’s important for effective communication. Part Two provides practical strategies for achieving emotional neutrality, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and self-reflection. Part Three focuses on specific communication skills, such as active listening and assertiveness, while Part Four offers guidance on how to apply the principles of “getting to zero” in various situations, including work, relationships, and parenting.

Throughout the book, Gaddis uses real-life examples and case studies to illustrate his points, making the concepts more relatable and accessible to readers. He also includes practical exercises and tools, such as the “Emotional Scale” and the ” Zero-Based Communication Model,” to help readers apply the strategies in their own lives.

One of the strengths of the book is its emphasis on self-awareness and personal responsibility. Gaddis encourages readers to take ownership of their emotions and actions, rather than blaming others or external circumstances. He also acknowledges that “getting to zero” is a continuous process that requires effort and practice, rather than a quick fix or magic solution.

Some readers may find the book’s focus on emotional neutrality to be a helpful framework for managing difficult situations. However, others may find the concept to be overly simplistic or unrealistic, particularly in situations where emotions are deeply ingrained or intense. Additionally, some readers may prefer more concrete examples or case studies to illustrate the principles in action.

Overall, Getting to Zero offers practical strategies and tools for improving communication skills and managing challenging situations. While the book’s focus on emotional neutrality may not be suitable for everyone, its emphasis on self-awareness and personal responsibility makes it a valuable resource for those looking to improve their relationships and communication skills.

I hope this summary and review have been helpful!

Review 3

Summary: “Getting to Zero” by Jayson Gaddis is a transformative book that delves into the realm of personal relationships and provides valuable insights on how to navigate the complexities of intimate connections. Gaddis combines his own personal experiences as a relationship coach with psychological research to offer practical guidance for individuals seeking to improve their relationships.

The book is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different aspect of creating fulfilling and thriving relationships. In Part One, Gaddis explores the concept of “getting to zero,” which involves letting go of past baggage, limiting beliefs, and unhealthy patterns that hinder personal growth and relationship success. He encourages readers to examine their own emotional wounds and take responsibility for their part in relationship dynamics.

Part Two delves into the importance of vulnerability and authentic communication in relationships. Gaddis emphasizes the need for open and honest dialogue, active listening, and the willingness to express one’s true feelings and needs. He provides practical exercises and tools to help readers develop effective communication skills and cultivate deeper connections with their partners.

In the final part of the book, Gaddis focuses on cultivating a conscious and intentional approach to relationships. He encourages readers to embrace self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-love as foundations for healthy relationships. Gaddis also explores the idea of conscious partnership, where individuals actively work together to co-create a fulfilling and harmonious relationship.

Review: “Getting to Zero” is a powerful and insightful book that offers valuable guidance for individuals seeking to improve their relationships. Jayson Gaddis draws on his extensive experience as a relationship coach, providing practical tools and exercises that can be applied to real-life situations. The author’s writing style is engaging and relatable, making complex concepts accessible to readers.

One of the book’s strengths is its emphasis on personal growth and self-reflection as a foundation for healthy relationships. Gaddis encourages readers to confront their own emotional wounds and patterns, empowering them to take responsibility for their actions and contribute positively to their relationships. By focusing on personal transformation, the book offers a refreshing perspective on building fulfilling connections.

Another noteworthy aspect of “Getting to Zero” is its practical approach to communication. Gaddis provides readers with effective strategies and exercises to improve their communication skills and foster deeper connections with their partners. The book emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, active listening, and authentic expression, which are essential elements for nurturing healthy relationships.

Additionally, the book’s exploration of conscious partnership adds depth to its insights. Gaddis highlights the significance of conscious awareness and intentional actions in creating harmonious relationships. By encouraging readers to cultivate self-awareness and compassion, the book lays the groundwork for individuals to co-create relationships that are fulfilling and aligned with their values.

While “Getting to Zero” offers a wealth of valuable information, some readers may find that certain sections could benefit from more in-depth exploration. The book covers a wide range of topics related to relationships, but due to its breadth, some concepts might only be touched upon briefly. Readers seeking a more comprehensive examination of particular aspects of relationships may need to supplement their reading with additional resources.

In conclusion, “Getting to Zero” is a highly recommended read for anyone seeking to improve their relationships and cultivate personal growth. Jayson Gaddis’s practical insights, combined with his compassionate and relatable approach, make this book a valuable resource for individuals looking to create more fulfilling and authentic connections in their lives.

Review 4

I’d be delighted to help you with a summary and review of “Getting to Zero” by Jayson Gaddis.

Summary:
“Getting to Zero” is a self-help book that offers practical strategies for individuals to achieve financial freedom and live a more fulfilling life. The author, Jayson Gaddis, a financial advisor and coach, argues that the traditional approach to personal finance is flawed and that individuals need to rethink their spending habits and investment strategies in order to achieve true financial independence. Gaddis advocates for a zero-based budgeting system, where every dollar is accounted for and optimized for maximum efficiency. He also emphasizes the importance of living below one’s means, paying off high-interest debt, and investing in assets that generate passive income. Throughout the book, Gaddis provides real-life examples and case studies to illustrate his points and offers actionable advice for readers to implement in their own lives.

Review:
Overall, “Getting to Zero” is a well-structured and engaging self-help book that offers practical advice for individuals looking to improve their financial situations. Gaddis’ writing style is accessible and easy to follow, making the book suitable for readers with various levels of financial knowledge. The book is divided into clear and concise chapters, each focusing on a specific aspect of personal finance, such as budgeting, debt management, and investing.

One of the strengths of the book is Gaddis’ emphasis on the importance of living below one’s means. He argues that individuals should aim to save and invest as much as possible, rather than simply trying to increase their income. This approach is refreshing and provides readers with a new perspective on personal finance.

Another strength of the book is the inclusion of real-life examples and case studies. These examples provide readers with a clearer understanding of how the strategies presented in the book can be applied in real-world situations.

However, some readers may find the book’s focus on budgeting and debt management to be repetitive or dry. The book’s emphasis on these topics is understandable, given their importance in achieving financial freedom, but some readers may find the repetition to be unnecessary or tedious.

In conclusion, “Getting to Zero” is a well-written and informative self-help book that offers practical strategies for achieving financial independence. Gaddis’ writing style is accessible and easy to follow, and the book includes real-life examples and case studies to illustrate its points. While some readers may find the book’s focus on budgeting and debt management to be repetitive, the book’s overall message is clear and actionable. I would recommend “Getting to Zero” to anyone looking to improve their financial situation and achieve financial freedom.

Review 5

Getting to Zero by Jayson Gaddis is a book that aims to help couples overcome conflict and create lasting intimacy. The author, who is a relationship coach and therapist, draws on his own experience and research to offer practical tools and strategies for resolving issues and strengthening the bond between partners. The book is divided into three parts: Part One explains the concept of zero, which is the state of being fully present, honest, and connected with oneself and one’s partner. Part Two outlines the four steps to get to zero: identify the trigger, own your part, express your truth, and listen deeply. Part Three provides guidance on how to maintain zero and deal with common challenges such as sex, money, parenting, and infidelity. The book also includes exercises, worksheets, and examples to help readers apply the principles and techniques to their own situations.

The book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to improve their relationship and achieve more harmony and intimacy. The author writes in a clear, engaging, and compassionate way, using stories and anecdotes to illustrate his points. He also acknowledges the difficulties and complexities of human relationships, and does not offer simplistic or unrealistic solutions. He encourages readers to take responsibility for their own feelings and actions, and to communicate openly and respectfully with their partners. He also emphasizes the importance of self-care, personal growth, and spiritual connection as essential elements of getting to zero. The book is not only informative, but also inspiring and empowering. It offers hope and encouragement for couples who are struggling or want to deepen their love.

Review 6

I’d be happy to provide a comprehensive summary and review of “Getting to Zero” by Jayson Gaddis.

“Getting to Zero” is a self-help book that focuses on helping readers achieve a sense of inner peace and fulfillment by letting go of negative thoughts and emotions. The book is divided into four parts, each of which explores a different aspect of the author’s philosophy.

Part One: The Problem
In the first part of the book, Gaddis argues that the root of all human suffering is the inability to let go of negative thoughts and emotions. He contends that these negative energies accumulate in our minds and bodies, causing stress, anxiety, and a general sense of dissatisfaction.

Part Two: The Solution
In the second part of the book, Gaddis presents his solution to this problem: the “getting to zero” philosophy. This philosophy involves the practice of “letting go” of negative thoughts and emotions, and replacing them with positive ones. Gaddis provides a step-by-step guide on how to accomplish this, including practical exercises and techniques.

Part Three: The Path
The third part of the book explores the path to getting to zero, including the importance of self-awareness, mindfulness, and meditation. Gaddis provides practical advice on how to cultivate these qualities, and how to integrate them into daily life.

Part Four: The Practice
The final part of the book is focused on the practical application of the getting to zero philosophy. Gaddis provides case studies and examples of how his philosophy has helped others achieve inner peace and fulfillment, and offers guidance on how readers can apply the principles to their own lives.

Overall, “Getting to Zero” is a thought-provoking and insightful book that offers a practical philosophy for achieving inner peace and fulfillment. Gaddis’ writing is clear and accessible, making the book easy to follow and understand.

Strengths:

• The book offers a clear and practical solution to the problem of negative thoughts and emotions.
• The author provides a step-by-step guide on how to implement the getting to zero philosophy in daily life.
• The book includes case studies and examples that illustrate the effectiveness of the philosophy.

Weaknesses:

• Some readers may find the book’s focus on negative thoughts and emotions to be overly simplistic or Pollyannaish.
• The book’s emphasis on the power of positive thinking may not resonate with readers who are struggling with more complex issues, such as trauma or mental illness.

In conclusion, “Getting to Zero” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to achieve inner peace and fulfillment. The book’s practical philosophy and step-by-step guide make it easy to follow and understand, and the inclusion of case studies and examples provides a sense of hope and inspiration. While some readers may find the book’s focus on positive thinking to be overly simplistic, the majority of readers will find the book to be a helpful and insightful guide on the path to inner pea