Dealing With My Love Affair With Personality Tests!
And the best way I’ve found to learn about yourself
I love personality tests. 😁
I never get tired of taking them. You’d think I’d found a winning lottery number every time I saw an invitation for a personality test. The anticipation builds as I answer each question, the excitement pulses through my veins at the thought of the big reveal.
What will I be? A number 9 on the Enneagram? An Advocate on the 16 personalities? INFJ on the Myers-Briggs? Or melancholic/phlegmatic on the …what was the name of that one? 🤔
Unfortunately, irrespective of the specific branding of the quiz, I always ended up slightly let down no matter what the final reveal turned out to be.
What was I expecting? 🤷🏽♀️
I ask myself this question every time. Sure, now I understand why I feel at peace at the end of the day when I’m by myself. Or why I am more idealistic than practical when it comes to work and fulfillment. But beyond knowing why I do things the way I do and understanding my deep-seated idiosyncrasies, why am I so enamored by these tests?
The answer came to me through reflection, and it turns out that only reflection could give me what online personality tests couldn’t exactly provide — a firm understanding of my personal journey and the ability to see the possibilities of my unique future by making sense of my past.
Your journey is unique to you
Years ago, my mom came home with a book titled Finding your Purpose, and I almost lost my mind! 🤯
You mean there was a book like this out there and I didn’t know it? I’m reading this today! I told myself.
I grabbed the book and began to devour it. I was probably 15 or 16 years old at the time and desperately trying to find myself. I always wondered about the vastness of the world and my place in it. Why was I here? What was I about? How could I fill this big hole inside of me? Well, I had finally found the book that would answer all my burning questions.
Halfway through the book, I was restless and kind of upset. Well, when was he going to tell me what my purpose was? Why was it taking so long?
I was a teenager, all I wanted was a quick answer. Get straight to the point, I thought. I didn’t want to know about stories of people who had found their purpose or the lessons or principles the author had learned and was so meticulously trying to share. At least not right then. I just wanted him to deliver on his promise of helping me find mine!
Unfortunately, that book left me with more questions than answers, and as I closed it disappointed and let down, a small voice floated into my consciousness.
“Did you expect to find your purpose in a book written by someone else? Other people probably have this book in their hands, too. Would they also find theirs?”
Now you might be reading this and thinking, duh! 🙄 But that was my reality. I was so desperately wanting answers that I was looking for them every and anywhere.
The power of reflection
Fast forward to today, and I’ve learned that life’s defining questions such as ‘What is my purpose? What am I doing here? And where am I going?’ are seldom revealed in a single flash of brilliance. It takes a journey.
You live, you learn, you take chances, you lose, you gain, you cry, you laugh, you look back, and you move forward.
And here lies the big revelation for me; looking back and reflecting — not in the negative way of dwelling on the past — is crucial for moving forward. Reflection has a way of unlocking bits of information and experiences we have forgotten but that have the power to give us a glimpse into our future possibilities.
After all, I firmly believe that things happen for a reason.
Curious. Do you love personality tests like me? Have you taken any lately?
I read some amazing pieces this week by Wendi Gordon and Alize Henry and I wanted to share them with you.
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