The Enneagram is About Motivation not Behaviour.
Think about what it would take for you to feel motivated to get up at 7 o’clock on a Saturday to mow the lawn. Does it align with the motivation of your Enneagram type?
Let’s think about what it take from the perspective of each Enneagram type:
The Enneagram 1 -Strict Perfectionist
Enneagram ones are motivated to do the right thing. So what would it take for an Enneagram 1 to get up early and mow the lawn on their day off?
As a rule follower, if the bylaw said that all lawns had to be mowed by 8, then you can be sure that an enneagram 1 would do whatever it took to comply with this rule as they see this as essential to keeping society intact.
Also if someone was coming over at 8 they would make sure that the lawn is mowed and the house is tidied! “I always live like this, with everything organized and things perfectly put away - don’t you?”
The Enneagram 2 - The Considerate Helper
An Enneagram two is the people person who is highly attuned to the needs and wants of others. Their motivation to mow the lawn is so that someone else doesn’t have to or to do so in service of the community.
For example, their neighbour is having an anniversary party at 8 and even if they aren’t invited they will be out to ensure that everything is perfect for the guests to arrive.
They might even go in and bake some cookies to share!
The Enneagram 3 - Competitive Achiever
The Enneagram threes are the “human doer” and find their self-worth from doing.
So if you put more on their list, the Enneagram 3 will just get up earlier or stay up later to get it done. And it doesn’t need to be perfect, just done. No fun for the three until the work is done.
The Enneagram 4 - The Intense Creative
As a member of the emotional centre, the Enneagram 4 is motivated by creativity and a sense of purpose.
Have you ever driven by a house that has those beautiful lines and circles on the lawn? An Enneagram 4 probably lives there. They might not get up at 7 though and when they do mow the lawn they will do some gardening and will feed the chickens.
Mowing the lawn isn’t just about the task but about being in nature.
The Enneagram 5 - The Quiet Specialist
The Eneagram 5 may mow the lawn twice. Motivated by the need to think and understand, mowing the law is about introverted and quiet time. Finally, a time when I don’t need to talk to anyone and just think.
They may even listen to a podcast.
The Enneagram Six - Loyal Skeptic
The Enneagram Six is motivated by thinking about what can go wrong and planning for it. The weather person said it would rain at 8, so if the Enneagram Six goes out at 730 and it has rained then the whole weekend is ruined, “I knew it was going to rain and I should have planned better”.
The Enneagram Seven - Enthusiastic Visionary
To be honest the Enneagram 7 problem won’t mow the lawn.
The Enneagram Seven is all about the future, new opportunities and trying new things. If they were to mow the lawn they would get a lawn mowing outfit, have a lawn mowing playlist and likely go out and get a new mower. Then they might just outsource this task.
The Enneagram 8 - Active Controller
Not all Enneagram 8s say they will actually do this, but all agree that they would at last think this:
Your neighbour comes over and asks you to wait until the afternoon to mow the lawn as they sleep in till 11. The bylaw says you only have to wait until 7 a.m. to begin mowing. So, next week the Enneagram 8s are up mowing the lawn as how dare you put your unrealistic expectations on me. The Enneagram 8s are all about boundaries and respect.
The Enneagram 9 - The Peacemaker
The Enneagram 9 is in a tough situation.
Someone has asked them to mow the lawn and so if they don’t they will have let someone down. But if they do the neighbours might get upset. So, at first instinct, they might go back to bed and hope the problem will go away.
At their best, they will look for the win-win which in this situation would be to use a silent push lawnmower, as to make no noise for the neighbour, but get the job done. The Enneagram 9 would rather work harder and keep the peace.
It’s All About Motivation
Unlike other personality frameworks that look at observable behaviours, the Enneagram is what is going on beneath the surface. And for true growth and advancement, it is at this level that true development occurs.
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