So you’ve taken the Enneagram assessment. You’ve poured through the descriptions of your Enneagram type to understand the nuances of your personality.
Now what?
The purpose of the Enneagram assessment, first and foremost, is self-knowledge that leads to growth. In essence, the more profoundly we understand our unique personality tendencies, the better equipped we will be to set goals, make important life decisions, and collaborate effectively with others.
Self-knowledge is incredibly useful in all arenas of life (both personally and professionally) but for the purposes of this blog post, we aim to discuss how the Enneagram can be a useful tool for personal growth.
Step 1: Test Your Type
Online assessments are not infallible. This means it is possible to incorrectly type when you take the Enneagram assessment.
In fact, this very situation happened for Maria, team writer here at Sarah Boxx LLC. When Maria first took the assessment, she was given the result of Type 2: The Helper. Although she does have many qualities that match Type 2, upon further reflection and conversation, she discovered that her deepest desires, motivations, and fears are actually better aligned with Type 9: The Peacemaker.
Instead of taking your results as law, test them. Spend a week or two and really pay attention to your behaviors, emotions, and inclinations as you go throughout your day. Are they consistent with the results you received? Do they align better with a different type?
Taking the time to truly “try your type on for size” will lead to significantly more fruitful reflection and growth in the future.
Step 2: Identify Target Growth Areas
Sometimes, when we begin to more clearly see and understand our personal strengths and weaknesses, we may feel an urge to use this knowledge to reinvent or improve all aspects of our life. It’s natural to want to use our strengths to better ourselves and find ways to make up for or improve our areas of weakness.
As you familiarize yourself with your Enneagram results, you may already have ideas for how to improve your professional life, your marriage, your parenting, your health…the list could go on and on.
This, my friend, is entirely unrealistic…at least when you attempt to do it all at the same time.
I find it’s helpful to narrow our focus.
We simply cannot (and frankly, should not) try to tackle every goal in all facets of life at the same time. This is an excellent recipe for burnout, self-sabotage, and frustration.
Instead, choose one (or maybe two) areas of focus. Perhaps you spend the next month aiming for personal growth in your marriage…that’s it. Or maybe you decide your health should be your current priority.
Step 3: Apply Your Enneagram Knowledge
Once you’ve chosen an area of life to make your current priority for personal growth, it’s time to reflect on how your Enneagram type manifests itself in that area. This will be different for everyone. For example, when it comes to romantic partnerships, a Type 2 will likely show up very differently than a Type 3.
Ask yourself:
- How does my knowledge of my Enneagram type affect the way I show up in (insert focus area)?
- What strengths and gifts do I bring as an Enneagram type ____ that can help me mature in this area?
- What challenges or blind spots should I become aware of? How do I plan to address these challenges as they arise?
Start small. Focus your personal growth efforts in one area of life before moving onto another.
It can take time to truly unpack the benefits of the Enneagram, but I assure you, it’s worth the effort. If you’d like some help as you dive more deeply into your type and how it can help you pursue personal growth, click HERE to learn more about my Unpacking Your Type coaching sessions.
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
