Nothing in life is more heartbreaking than untapped potential. Human beings are capable of great things, if we put our minds to it. Sadly, the human condition is also prone to distraction and self-sabotage.
The good news is, by assessing your own Myers-Briggs personality type, you can learn where you’re going wrong. We all have a blind spot. Identifying yours, and taking appropriate action, is critical.
Identifying your biggest weakness is key to eliminating it from your life. Unencumbered by the ever-present threat of self-destruction, you’ll be free to achieve everything you’re capable of – and more.
ENFJ - The Giver
The Giver is a generous soul, and that’s great. There is a price to pay for this kindness, though. The Giver is so concerned with meeting the needs of others that they often forget to think about themselves.
If you’re an ENFJ, take the time to consider - and meet – your own needs. If you always give more than you receive, you’ll never progress in your own ambitions. This golden rule applies to all aspects of your life – whether at work or at home.
You need to implement firm boundaries. More critically, you need to stick with these boundaries, even though this flies in the face of your nature. If you give an inch, the world will take a mile. Don’t just shrug your shoulders and accept this with a weary smile. You offer plenty and deserve to receive as much as you give.
ENFP - The Champion
The ENFP has many virtues but it is safe that to say that patience is not among them. The Champion is always seeking their next great experience, or a bigger, better deal. This means The Champion will never stop and smell the roses. They’ll be more concerned with the next garden on their journey.
A thirst for adventure is admirable, but sooner or later you need to start laying down some foundations. The Champion will always choose a quick win and an easy fix over a long-term strategy, even if the latter approach will reap more rewards in the future. Sooner rather than later, this catches up with you.
If you’re starting to feel bored, resist the urge to toss everything in the trash and start again. This aversion to commitment will just create a perpetual cycle that leaves you back at the starting point time and again. Instead, look at how you can make changes within the confines of an existing structure.
ENTJ - The Commander
The Commander is a born planner. This personality type has one-, five- and ten-year plans. Rather than crossing fingers and hoping for the best, the ENTJ has considered every possible roadblock and devised a route around it. They know exactly where they want to end up and are determined to get there. Unfortunately, this much focus on the future – and what may happen – can impact on the present and what is unfolding.
If you’re an ENTJ, spend a little less time thinking about tomorrow and a little more time enjoying today. You only have one life, and it’s time to live it! Thinking about the future is an admirable trait, but reaching a destination is pointless if you don’t relish the journey. Don’t forget, there will always be another goal of target to achieve. If you don’t stop to enjoy your successes, they will cease to carry any real meaning.
ENTP - The Visionary
The Visionary has a grand design for their life. This is more than just an idea, though. The ENTP will move heaven and earth to achieve their goal and turn dreams into reality. That’s admirable, but it can leave a trail of destruction in The Visionary’s wake.
When you think about what you want, and how you intend to obtain it, think about logistics – how realistic are your ambitions? Are you capable of achieving your targets in your allocated timeframe? Will doing so leave you mentally, physically or financially exhausted? Will it involve bulldozing friends, family or colleagues along the way? Do the ends really justify the means?
Do not just look at things with tunnel vision, only considering how you’ll meet your personal targets. Seek advice and opinions from those closest to you. Take this input on-board and think about a variety of different approaches. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. By thinking about things differently, you’ll enjoy more success with less collateral damage.
ESFJ - The Provider
An ESJF takes a great deal of pleasure from helping others. The Provider is undoubtedly a people-pleaser, always on-hand with a smile and advice. Unfortunately, ESJFs can be so wrapped up with helping others that they lose their own essence and personality.
If you’re a Provider, you likely find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others. This is a dangerous habit, as it can leave you coveting that with others have. You helped your colleague gain a promotion, so you should be next in line for something better. You helped a friend plan their dream wedding, so yours should be in a bigger, more glamorous venue.
You need to ask yourself some important questions. Do these things really matter to you? Or are you just trying to keep up with your peer group? Take a break from worrying about other people and draw up a vision for how you want your own future to look. If you have different values or priorities to others, there’s no shame in that.
ESFP - The Performer
Were you the class clown of your High School? If you’re an ESFP, it’s likely. This personality type breezes through life, refusing to take anything too seriously. A sense of humor is critical in an increasingly uncertain world. There needs to a balance between fun and sincerity, though. We’re willing to wager that the class Valedictorian has achieved more of their goals into adulthood.
This does not mean changing who you are. If you’re an Entertainer, embrace that. People love being around you, and your happy-go-lucky approach to living for the moment is infectious. Just know that, sooner or later, you’re going to need to think a little more seriously. When the laughter stops, the hard work really begins.
You need a plan to protect what is important to you. Life is indifferent for us all, and sooner or later, some form of misfortune is likely to befall you. Do you have a plan for surviving that? All the song and dance routines in the world won’t help in times of genuine crisis, especially if you’re facing problems alone. Take a little time to think about the future, putting safety precautions in place.
ESTJ - The Supervisor
ESTJs are among the most practical of all personality types. They’re not averse to fun or happiness – they just place it lower down their totem pole of priorities. This means that, while an ESTJ is rarely caught off-guard, they can seemingly forget to live their lives on occasion.
“Work hard, play hard” is a great motto. If you’re a Supervisor, just make sure that you remember the, “play hard” part. Stop for a moment and ask yourself if you’re really taking enough time to enjoy your present. You only get one life, after all. Don’t waste it planning for a rainy day that may never arrive.
By all means, keep working and keep earning money. Don’t prioritize this so much that you don’t have time to spend it, though. You may find that life has moved on without you while you were excessively focused on practicality. Tomorrow is important, but so is today.
ESTP - The Doer
The Doer, as the name suggests, wants to get things done. An ESTP is like a shark. If they’re not constantly moving forward, they’re at risk of losing oxygen. This lust for progress can be beneficial, but it doesn’t always lend itself to making the right decisions. The Doer will always take the path of least resistance, seeking a quick win and moving on.
If you fall under this personality profile, you’ll likely be familiar with this. Given the choice between a step forward or a lateral movement, you’ll always take the former option. The bigger picture is for somebody else to worry about – it will present itself in time. In reality, a lateral move may be a short-term delay that results in five steps forward in no time at all.
Think of life as being akin to a game of chess. Stop for a moment and give a little thought to the future. You do not need to be in perpetual motion to achieve great things. A little time out today to hatch a plan can be pivotal to a brighter tomorrow.
INFJ - The Counselor
When an INFJ is asked for their biggest weakness in a job interview, they’ll invariably answer, “I’m a perfectionist.” Seeking faultlessness in all things is admirable, but it’s unrealistic. You’re placing unreasonable burdens on yourself and others.
You need to start accepting that the world is an imperfect place, filled with imperfect people and situations. Something is always better than nothing. While you’re prone to accepting nothing less than 100%, that often means missing out. Until you lower your standards a little, you’ll find yourself constantly chasing shadows in the pursuit of an impossible dream.
That doesn’t mean that you should give up. It just means that you should learn to love failure and take a few more chances. 90, 80 … even 50% is better than 0 – that’s just simple math. In addition, we learn more from our defeats than our victories. If everything runs as smooth as clockwork, how could you possibly hope to grow?
INFP - The Idealist
The Idealist could also be called The Dreamer. This personality type is often accused of having their head in the clouds. Daydreaming about rainbows and unicorns is fun and important to staying calm. Reality can bite an INFP hard if they are unprepared for it, though.
This is the biggest weakness of The Idealist. Adversity or hardship sends you scurrying back to the save haven of fantasy. This can leave you reluctant to take a chance. Why risk something ending badly? If you keep concepts safely in dreamland, you can imagine that it all worked out for the best.
Dreams and goals are important, but they don’t come true unless you take action. Step out of your mind every once in a while. Stop thinking in terms of best-case scenarios and start looking at the here and now. Until you do, you’ll forever be talking about, “one day” – and never making that today.
INTJ - The Mastermind
INTJs cannot abide ignorance, in any form. This personality type needs to be in full possession of the facts before taking any kind of action. That attention of detail is commendable, but it can become crippling.
There is always something new to learn. None of us can ever truly know everything. What’s the point in continuing, if there’s nothing new to learn? In addition, experience comes from wisdom. Eventually, thinking needs to give way to doing.
The Mastermind can be prone to spending hours, or even days, agonizing over decisions. Sometimes, you just need to take a deep breath and jump into the water without testing the temperature. It may be freezing … but it could be refreshing. You’ll never know unless you actually try.
INTP - The Thinker
The Thinker is a fiercely independent personality type. INTPs like to keep their own counsel wherever possible. This includes a reluctance to share hopes and dreams – and, more importantly, a frequent refusal to ask for any kind help. That can lead to a lonely and unfulfilling life.
Showing vulnerability is not weakness, it is human. You may be able to achieve great things by yourself, but sometimes, an extra pair of hands can make all the difference. Whether it’s moving a piano or mulling over a logic problem, there is nothing to lose by seeking help from time to time. Many hands make light work, two heads are better than one … choose from a range of proverbs, they all apply to The Thinker.
It doesn’t need to be direct support, either. You could free up time and energy by delegating responsibility on occasion. People are willing to help you. You need to start placing a little more trust in others, carrying a smaller burden on your own shoulders. This will leave you with greater capacity to achieve your goals.
ISFJ - The Nurturer
An ISFJ will frequently dedicate themselves to helping others. That sounds noble on paper. You need to ask yourself an important question, though. Is this decision born of selflessness or insecurity? All too often, The Nurturer feels they are unworthy of an interesting life themselves.
Ergo, the ISFF dedicates themselves to helping others achieve their goals. If you find yourself questioning whether you’re worthy of love, a promotion at work, an accolade or anything positive, stop and take a moment. Step out of your mind and try to view yourself the way others do. Ask others what they think of you. You’ll be surprised at how positive they can be.
The rest of the world wants you to succeed, and you’re capable of doing so. It’s only your self-limiting beliefs that prevent this from happening. Change your line of thinking and start claiming that which you deserve.
ISFP - The Composer
If there is one thing that The Composer cannot face, it’s conflict. When the temperature rises, an ISFP doesn’t fight fire with fire. They don’t even reach for the extinguisher. They flee and call the fire department from a safe distance.
If you’re an ISFP, you really need to start stepping up on occasion. That doesn’t mean that you need to become uncharacteristically aggressive. Just acknowledge that conflict, in and of itself, does not have to be a negative experience. What you deem to be conflict may just be a conversation to somebody else.
Stop and think before you start to enter into conflict – it will never be something that you’re entirely comfortable with. Pick a hill that you’re prepared to die on, however, and stand by your judgment. Some wars are worth waging, and you’ll never achieve your goals until you acknowledge this.
ISTJ - The Inspector
ISTJs are cautious by their very nature. This is the personality type that never adds salt to their food without tasting it first. They always enter a swimming pool via the stairs. They’ll never try a new restaurant is an old favorite is available.
If you’re an Inspector, nobody expects you to start throwing caution to the wind overnight. Ultimately, that’s not who you are. However, you really need to start living a little. With no risk, there’s no fun.
Think about a minor chance you could take that promises a substantial reward. That could be financial, emotional or anything else. Just take the occasional gamble, without jeopardizing anything that really matters to you. Life begins where your comfort zone ends.
ISTP - The Craftsperson
The Craftsperson likes to consider himself or herself a realist. Be careful of how this comes off, though. The people around you are more likely to use words like, “cynic”, or even, “misanthrope.” Either way, an ISTP needs to lighten up a little.
Sometimes, you’ll need to check your skepticism at the door and open your mind and heart. If you think for long enough, you’ll be more than capable to dissuading yourself from following your instincts in any given situation. What’s more, exercise a little tact. Before you say something hurtful and follow it up with, “I’m only being honest”, ask yourself if blunt honesty is really the best policy here.
Learn to trust a little. Even if things go wrong, it’s a learning exercise. What’s more likely to happen, however, is that you’ll come to realize that people are inherently good. The world doesn’t have to be a dark and gloomy place. If you start to put out a more positive energy and outlook, this will be returned by those around you.