Knowing how you’re wired is foundational to being true to yourself. After all, if you don’t know yourself, how can you be true to it? Living your purpose, discovering your calling, achieving your dreams - all of these things depend on knowing your wiring, among other things. Not investing in finding this out is the equivalent to saying you want to win a marathon but don’t plan on running. It just won’t happen.
My intentional journey to discovering my wiring began with a personality test that I was required to take for work in 2015. The goal of taking this test as a staff was to improve communication and efficiency among the team. The thought was that if we understood each other better, we would be better equipped to work together. Taking this test started me on a journey I couldn’t have imagined.
As we continued to take assessments like these at work, I recognized a pattern. My results were consistent regardless of the test, only revealing new little nuances with each one, but the core was the same. To say that learning my wiring radically transformed my productivity, confidence and empathy would simply be an understatement.
While there are many, here are 7 key benefits of knowing your personal wiring according to Psychology Today (and personal experience):
Less Inner Conflict You’ll question yourself and your actions less when you know your wiring. Internally, you’ll feel more like you’re sailing with the wind instead of against it. Making it that much easier to navigate difficult decision-making and life transitions.
Better Decision-Making Speaking of decisions, you’ll start making better ones. It becomes much easier to say no to things that will just leave you in places you have no desire to be physically, emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically.
More Self-Control You’ll find that you have more self-control; more self-discipline. Similar to inner conflict, when it comes to personal development, you’ll feel like your going with the grain of who you are instead of fighting against it.
Resistance To Social Pressure When we’re unsure of who we are we do stupid things in the name of “finding out”. After all, you’ll never know until you try, right? Wrong! You can skip many painful regrets by learning how you’re wired ahead of time.
Tolerance and understanding Others Understanding your wiring and personal temperaments will grow your empathy for others. Especially when you realize that many people have no idea why they are how they are. You’ll be more patient with others because you’ll become more patient with yourself as you learn your own quirks.
Improved Personal Relationships It’s worth emphasizing that you’ll see a great improvement in your personal relationships as you grow in understanding yourself. It gives you the clarity and power to either change the dynamics in personal relationships or identify toxic people and move on without them. Not in a mean way, just the reality of a healthier you coming to the surface.
Greater Spiritual Growth This is often overlooked when talking about personal development so I wanted to point it out. Your spiritual journey becomes less of an uphill battle when you understand how you’re wired. It begins to feel more like a partnership with God instead of an unhealthy struggle against Him (yes, there are healthy ways to struggle with God).
Here are some personality assessments and strengths finders that I found helpful on my journey:
QUESTION: What’s your Enneagram Type?
Okay, so kind of a geek question. What’s your Enneagram type? I’m a Type 1 with a wing 2. Comment below or send me an email with your Enneagram Type.
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