Observe. Reflect. Develop. The Personal Growth Journey breakdown
As a life coach, I often tell people that the beginning of change begins with awareness. Until recently, I never really thought about what comes after. With this three step process, Observe - Reflect - Develop, anyone can change their ways and set themselves up for a Future Self in more alignment with purpose.
All change starts with Observation. Nothing has brought this more to light than my personal work with the Enneagram. As a Type Five I have become (painfully) aware of my constant thinking, sprinkle in some fear, some avarice, my need to know and you’ve got a recipe for LOTS of observation. I find myself often pulling back from my typical reactions and just noticing them (especially those thoughts!). Without the Enneagram, it would have taken me so much longer to discover all of the things that make me me and everything I hadn’t noticed before in 58 years. Crazy, huh?
After Observe comes Reflect. Fives are probably pretty good at this since we tend to spend lots of time in our heads. That being said, Reflection lends itself to the why behind the actions. Super important work because if you don’t see the why then the how (Develop) is not possible. Let me explain.
My Center of Intelligence is Head. Knowing that I’m always thinking as a reaction (instead of being in my body or heart) gives me pause to consider another reaction. Recently on vacation, I wanted to wake up and spend some time working on a few things for my coaching work (I know, I’m on vacation, but I actually LOVE doing this kind of thing in some quiet space). Husband had a different plan - “Let’s take a walk to the coffee shop.” Even though I really wanted to be in my head, contemplating my next coaching idea, I had to stop thinking, get in touch with what he wanted (heart and body - he loves walking with me for my latte), and realize ‘I’m on vacation with my husband!’ So we did and of course, it was great. Develop. I know it sounds little, but my initial reaction isn’t about connection. It’s about preserving my resources and doing head-centered things. I kind of knew this about myself but not to the level I know myself now - thanks to the Enneagram. Now, I am rethinking my reactions and getting curious about how to Develop my heart and body centers.
Personal growth takes observation, reflection, and development. The Enneagram fast-tracks all three with the road map provided for transformational growth.
Remember, I offer FREE Enneagram typing, and now is the perfect time to book that since I am offering a 2-for-1 deal on my Deep Dive Enneagram Workshop with a new start date of March 14th. Email me and I can help you with the 2-for-1 deal.
Click Type 8’s Path to Wholeness drawing below for this week’s blog.
Saboteur Hyper-Achiever Reflection and Enneagram Upcoming Weekly Workshop
Positive Intelligence™
Ah, the Hyper-Achiever Saboteur. This character belongs predominantly to Enneagram Type 3, the Achiever. This type has many beautiful strengths - driven, pragmatic, adaptable, goal-oriented and self-directed. The Type 3 is also capable of growing self and others. When the Sage is present, Type 3s are inspiring and help others with meaningful growth. But when Hyper-Achiever shows up, things change.
According to PQ Intelligence™, Hyper-Achiever is dependent on constant performance and achievement for self-respect and validation. When this Saboteur is at play, one is focused on external validation, attention and acceptance by others. If this is your main Saboteur, you can suffer from workaholism and lose touch with emotional needs. The Hyper-Achiever is competitive and image-conscious. It tends to cover up insecurities and use chameleon tactics to impress others. This keeps people at a safe distance.
Thoughts of the Hyper-Achiever include “I must be the best at what I do,” “emotions get in the way of performance,” “my worthiness is based on my success.” This Saboteur believes it is important to feel successful and fears intimacy and vulnerability as others would find out about the Hyper-Achiever’s imperfections. The lies this Saboteur tells us is that life is about achieving, a good image equates in results, and that feelings are a distraction. The childhood message may have been that love is conditional and I am loved for my achievements. Parents may have been absent.
If this describes most of your negative thoughts, you may be a Type 3. There are many strategies to overcome these thoughts and actions but it is important to start with the self-command of recognizing when your behaviors are trending towards this Saboteur which the Mental Fitness workshop beginning 10/12 will help with considerably. If you aren’t sure this is your main Saboteur, it is always a good idea to get typed. I am (and will continue to) offering a FREE Enneagram Sessions. You just need to take a couple of assessments and together we will uncover your Enneagram type. Then the real growth begins. Don’t put your head in the sand. Book your FREE appointment today.
WEEKLY ENNEAGRAM GROUP COACHING
Keep your eyes out for my weekly Enneagram Group Sessions coming soon. Once you are typed, you can jump into these workshops and take a deeper dive in a group setting to learn more about what is making you tick. I will be working out the details soon but in the meantime, get typed so you can take advantage of this affordable group coaching option.
