AAA: Achieve, Avoid, Act
Clarify what you want, expose what you fear, then choose the next action.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
AAA structures a coaching conversation around three stages: Achieve, Avoid, and Act. First, the person describes the outcome they want and repeatedly examines why it matters. Second, they identify the outcome, feeling, or consequence they want to avoid and explore the motivation beneath it. Holding both sides together reveals priorities, values, tensions, and hidden assumptions that may not appear in a conventional goal-setting exercise. Finally, the person uses that clarity to select the highest-leverage next action. The coach facilitates rather than prescribing, allowing the coachee to show their reasoning and develop ownership of the decision. Accountability can then be attached to the chosen action through a deadline or follow-up conversation.
Origin
Hasan Kubba presented AAA during a live coaching demonstration on Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal, describing it as a simple framework for creating clarity and accountability.
Core principles
- 01Clarity comes before effective action.
- 02Desired outcomes and avoided outcomes both reveal motivation.
- 03Repeatedly asking why exposes deeper values and constraints.
- 04The coachee should formulate the answer rather than receive instructions.
- 05Progress begins with one high-leverage next action.
How to run it
- 1
Establish the Context
Briefly review the current situation and notice which concern naturally emerges. Keep the opening broad enough for the person's actual priority to surface.
Pro tip Build rapport before narrowing the conversation.
Watch out Do not assume you already know which problem matters most.
- 2
Define Achieve
Ask what the person wants to achieve right now, then ask why it matters. Continue until the desired outcome and its underlying motivation are clear.
Pro tip Listen for several goals that triangulate around one deeper outcome.
Watch out Do not convert the answer into your own preferred goal.
- 3
Define Avoid
Ask what the person wants to avoid and why that consequence matters. Use the answer to reveal fears, constraints, identity conflicts, and unacceptable trade-offs.
Pro tip Notice when an apparent avoidance answer is merely another achievement goal.
Watch out Do not use fear to pressure the person into an action.
- 4
Choose the Act
Review what the person wants and does not want, then ask them to select the highest-leverage next action. Make the action specific enough to execute.
Pro tip Ask the person what they think they should do before offering advice.
Watch out Avoid producing an elaborate plan when one immediate action will create momentum.
- 5
Create Accountability
Attach a commitment, deadline, or follow-up point to the action. Revisit the decision later to assess progress and refine the next step.
Pro tip Use accountability to support ownership rather than impose judgment.
Watch out Accountability without genuine clarity can reinforce the wrong action.
In the wild
A creator lists several desired outcomes: finishing a book, clearing the calendar, delegating business operations, retaining creative input, sleeping well, and maintaining a social life. The coach notices that these goals converge on creating protected cognitive space without abandoning the business. The creator then chooses one responsibility to delegate and blocks a recurring writing period.
→ A diffuse collection of pressures becomes a focused lifestyle-and-work design decision.
A manager wants to accept a promotion for greater influence but wants to avoid losing family time and becoming trapped in administrative work. Exploring both sides reveals that autonomy matters more than the title. The manager proposes negotiating a narrower remit before accepting.
→ The person identifies a concrete negotiation that protects the values behind both goals.
Common mistakes
Giving the Answer Too Soon
Immediate advice prevents the person from examining their own reasoning and developing ownership of the decision.
Stopping at the Surface Goal
Accepting the first answer without asking why can leave the real motivation, fear, or identity conflict undiscovered.
Ending Without an Action
Insight alone does not create progress; the conversation should culminate in a specific next step and accountability mechanism.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for people who feel stuck, overloaded, conflicted, or unclear about their immediate priorities.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when the person lacks essential technical information and genuinely needs expert instruction rather than reflection.
From the transcript
“And this is this is a very simple framework called AAA achieve avoid act.”
“So clarity and accountability are the two main benefits of coaching.”
From the episode
How To Think Like A Life Coach - Hasan Kubba
Hasan Kubba