Change & Enneagram Types
Changes, or pivots, in our lives can create a kind of chaos in the mind & body. We’ve created these well-worn paths in our brains that tell us that what we’ve always done, or what we’ve been doing for the last X number of weeks/months/years, is THE RIGHT THING.
So, even when our bodies & minds know we’re ready for a change, sometimes the brain doesn’t follow suit right away. It wants to stay on that well-worn path it’s walked on for however long. We have to kind of force it, clear some trees & make a new path. Hence the chaos.
Some personality types embrace that chaos by making lists.
Others run away from it in the hopes it'll sort itself out.
Some personality types go down the deepest, darkest, most thorough Google hole you've ever known to be true so they can make sense of it.
Still others over-indulge as a way of not facing it.
Each personality type goes with or against the change based on their core motivation, which can be recognized by how they finish this sentence:
A good person...
A helpful person...
A successful person...
A unique person...
A competent person...
A loyal person...
A fun person...
A strong person...
A peaceable person...
When your life needs a pivot, or when a pivot is forced upon you, how do you react/respond?
How do you finish that sentence? Every sentence starter up there speaks to the core motivation of each type. It’s a great way to figure out how you’re dealing with something, and it’s a great way to reveal how you make decisions as you go about your daily life.
Below is each Enneagram type & insight for how each number can grapple with a life pivot. Because changing is possible. Clearing a new path in your brain is completely possible, we just have to take those steps toward it.
Enneagram 1
Motivated by: being good & right
Tell your inner critic: This can be good.
Action: Journal your pro/con list for the specific change going on in your life. Add a FEELING for each item.
Write down: PERFECT ISN’T A THING.
Ask yourself: What can I control today?
Faulty equation: messy ≠ bad
Enneagram 2
Motivated by: being helpful in order to be appreciated
Tell yourself: I don’t have to help today. I can rest today.
Action: Think of one thing that will help you feel secure, and do/get/ask for it.
Write down: I CAN ASK FOR WHAT I NEED.
Ask yourself: What is necessary today?
Faulty equation: Boundaries ≠ loss of connection during the change
Enneagram 3
Motivated by: status & respect
Tell yourself: Ebb & flow changes are a natural part of life.
Action: Choose a span of time where you can PAUSE & reflect on the change.
Write down: NEEDING A CHANGE DOESN’T MEAN I’VE FAILED.
Ask yourself: How can I help this change be successful?
Faulty equation: Pause ≠ unproductive
Enneagram 4
Motivated by: authenticity, uniqueness
Tell yourself: Changing doesn’t mean you’re losing your authenticity.
Action: Create a piece of art that communicates your feeling about this change.
Write down: CHANGING = A NEW CHANCE TO SHOW MY UNIQUENESS.
Ask yourself: What can I individually contribute here?
Faulty equation: Pivoting ≠ abandoning your authenticity
Enneagram 5
Motivated by: competency & capability
Tell yourself: Change can be stress, AND I can do this.
Action: Connect with your body in a way that literally expresses the stress & pent-up anxiety from your body.
Write down: I CAN LEARN AS I GO. I DON’T HAVE TO KNOW IT ALL AT ONCE.
Ask yourself: What can I learn today that will calm a few nerves during the change?
Faulty equation: Changing ≠ uncertainty for the rest of your life
Enneagram 6
Motivated by: safety & security
Tell yourself: I can’t answer all the questions, but I can still move forward.
Action: Write down four potential options for one decision. Choose one.
Write down: I CAN LEARN AND MOVE FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME.
Ask yourself: What worst-case scenario can I lay down & not worry about today?
Faulty equation: Change ≠ lack of security
Enneagram 7
Motivated by: fun, avoiding pain and boredom
Tell yourself: I won’t get stuck here forever.
Action: Choose one pain point to address today. Tomorrow, choose one more. And so on.
Write down: CHANGE CAN BE HARD & FUN AT THE SAME TIME.
Ask yourself: What lightness can I bring to the situation?
Faulty equation: Pain & discomfort ≠ time to run
Enneagram 8
Motivated by: feeling strong, avoiding weakness & vulnerability
Tell yourself: Showing vulnerability, especially during seasons of change, can strengthen relationships.
Action: Choose one person you trust and tell them how you feel about the change.
Write down: THERE IS STRENGTH IN FLEXIBILITY.
Ask yourself: What can I reasonably advocate for here?
Faulty equation: vulnerability & flexibility ≠ weakness
Enneagram 9
Motivated by: peacemaking & peacekeeping, internally & externally
Tell yourself: This change could show/teach me more about myself.
Action: Find a connection between what you want & what you have. Write one action step to bridge that gap.
Write down: MY FEELINGS COUNT HERE, TOO.
Ask yourself: Where can I reasonably & effectively mediate here?
Faulty equation: discord ≠ the change going all wrong
More for you…
My favorite Enneagram assessments:
FREE Your Enneagram Coach (faith-based)
FREE Truity Enneagram Personality test (not faith-based)
Paid: RHETI Institute
Remember: Assessments are a *component* of figuring out your Enneagram type, but reading type descriptions is really how to nail it down.
Get the Typing Guide right here or in the form below. Figuring out your Enneagram number is a great way to start figuring out why you say, do & think the way you do. It’s a great way to learn that you’re not weird, you’re just you. And we need you.
Still looking for more? Shoot me an email & we can talk about coaching!