“Grant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know thee.”
Augustine
I love buying gifts, how about you? I find it so fun to shop for friends and family members, whether it’s for their birthday, Christmas or just because.
But what often happens is that whenever I’m out shopping, I often see gifts I’d love to buy for myself. Anyone else?
One area that I splurge on myself regularly is self-awareness. I believe it’s one of the best gifts we can give ourselves. It’s necessary if we want to grow and change. Self-awareness helps us in both our relationships and professional endeavors.
The more we know how we tick, the better. Self-awareness helps us identify our strengths and weaknesses. It helps us recognize unhealthy behaviors. It makes us realize how much we need God.
I invest in my self-awareness regularly through biblical counseling, helpful books, conferences, and personality assessments.
I’ve found that personality assessments are great tools for knowing ourselves and others better. When I’ve taken assessments alongside friends or people I’ve worked with, it helps me understand how they’re wired and how to better know and work with them.
There are so many personality assessments you can take, like Myers-Briggs, Sixteen Personalities, StrengthsFinder, DISC, and True Colors, to name a few. I’ve found them all useful. It’s kind of crazy how accurate some of the tests can be!
For the past year or two, the Enneagram has become a big buzz among Christian communicators. It’s not new but has become very popular recently. Have you heard of it?
It’s a personality assessment that reveals your number/type. It’s not a Christian test, but it’s helpful when we view the results through a Christian lens: knowing ourselves better through our number reminds us of our need for God.
The Enneagram identifies our core motivations and how we behave when we’re in a healthy place. It also points out areas where we’re prone to sin and how we act under stress.
Here is a list of each number and its corresponding name:
1: The Perfectionist, Teacher, Reformer
2: The Helper, Caretaker, Pleaser
3: The Achiever, Communicator, Role Model
4: The Romantic, Artist or Individualist
5: The Investigator, Observer, Innovator
6: The Loyalist, Guardian, Questioner
7: The Enthusiast, Adventurer, Energizer
8: The Challenger, Leader, Protector
9: The Peacemaker, Comforter, Optimist
Here’s how you can find out your number:
- Use it as your starting point: When I first took it, I was really confused because my top result was a 2. The next two scores were tied, 6 and 9, with only one point’s difference between them and my 2 score.
- Investigate the types: While I do resonate with a lot of 6 and 9, I’ve been able to research and see how I’m most like a 2. There are various components of each number that may resonate with you, but there’s likely one type that is most like you. I recommend the book, The Road Back to You* as a great resource to help you understand each type. I also follow @yourenneagramcoach on Instagram and she has great information and offers a Christian perspective.
- I’ve also listened to a few podcasts that have helped me understand even more about the Enneagram:
- The Alli Worthington Show: January 7, 2019 Episode
- Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller: November 26, 2018 and December 3, 2018 Episodes
- Research the core motivator behind each type and see what hits home most: I feel like mine has changed throughout the years, but in my current season I’m definitely a 2.
- Consider the wings: Wings are the numbers directly above and below your type. Sometimes we act similar to the numbers that wing our true number. Before I took the test, I assumed I would be a 1 or a 3. Turns out, I’m a two with 1 and 3 wings/tendencies.
Like any personality test, you may like it and you might not. I find that interpreting the results of any personality test takes some processing and it may be a while before you feel like you’re confident in your results. That’s okay! Use what’s helpful to you in this season. There may be things that will resonate more later.
Self-awareness is a journey, not a destination. Because we’re always changing as the years pass and seasons come and go, the need for self-awareness is on-going. It’s a wonderful gift we can give ourselves on a regular basis.
I’d love to know:
- What has been your favorite personality assessment?
- What’s your Enneagram number?
- What’s your tip on creating more self-awareness in your life?
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