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How To Use Your Enneagram Type To Drive Fitness Journey
You may have seen this word Enneagram floating around a lot lately and it’s with good reason. The Enneagram is quite fascinating, and can give a pretty in-depth understanding about why you do what you do. Today I want to show you how you can use your Enneagram type to drive your fitness journey.
Throughout my own 160-pound weight-loss journey I’ve been asked a thousand times this simple question: “how did you sustain a steady weight-loss journey for over 16 years?”
While I don’t focus on weight-loss guidance these days, I would have to say that one of the major reasons my healthy journey has been so sustainable is because I’ve always tapped into my motivators. Even when I didn’t realize I was doing that exactly, I was still constantly recalibrating what truly motivated walk forward toward my healthiest self.
The most significant thing that caused me to find success in this area of my life, was mindset. It all comes down to what motivated me to do it. You may be tempted to look at my before-and-after snapshot and assume it was an overnight thing. But it wasn’t. I had to press through highs, lows, victories, defeats, getting married, having babies, moving across the country multiple times, working stressful jobs, you name it!
But the thing that always kept me going, even when it was snail-like progress, was my why. My motivation for pursuing the healthiest me possible.
If you don’t have a motivator that’s deeply rooted inside of you, you’re not going to stick with it when the going gets tough. And I’m not talking about some cute quote or zap of motivator juice. I’m talking about what truly motivates you to want to prioritize your health.
For me, in the beginning at least, it was desperation. I was so miserable at 336 pounds. Not because of how I looked, but because of 1. how I felt physically and 2. how I had been told all my life that I was less than because I was fat.
Side note: #2 is absolutely incorrect. Read more here.
What drove me all the way to where I am today is the fact that I constantly reverted (and still do revert) back to my why. I’ve learned that there has to be a driving force to my health journey, and that only comes through finding what truly motivates me at my core.
And that’s what leads us to the Enneagram. While the Enneagram isn’t a magic potion that will instantly morph you into your biggest health goals, it does tap into our core motivators. The Enneagram doesn’t just help us understand what we do, but the why behind what we do. And if we can truly understand the Enneagram type we resonate with, we can apply it to any area of life.
Including our fitness journey!
What is the Enneagram?
So what is the Enneagram? Basically it’s a multi-faceted personality test that can give you incredibly in-depth insight as to what motivates you, what challenges you, and in what ways you thrive. It can help you identify (in many different areas of your life) what holds you back as well as what pushes you toward strength, development, and self knowledge.
And knowledge… is power.
So the more you know about you, the more you can use that knowledge to supercharge yourself toward your goals. Really with anything; motherhood, being a student, leading a company, being an employee… you name it!
If you’ve never taken the Enneagram test, you could start there. It takes about 30-40 minutes and has 144 questions, each with only two answer options. Take your time, and answer honestly. Once you’re finished you’ll be able to use your enneagram type to drive weight-loss success. As a side note, I am not in any way an affiliate, and I do not earn a commission when you purchase the $12 Enneagram test. I just love the Enneagram and think you should find out your type. 😉
How You Can Use Your Enneagram Type To Drive Your Fitness journey
If you understand how your core motivation determines your Enneagram type, then you can learn more about how you can use that motivation to harness success in your health pursuit.
Today I want to give you a snippet of what I mean. I’ve also written a full blog post on each type, and I’ve linked those below so you can check them out.
How To Apply The Information In This Post
Let’s not make things more complicated than they need to be.
STEP 1: Take the Enneagram test.
STEP 2: Find your Enneagram type below, and read more.
I’ll be making my way through all 9 Enneagram types so you can learn how to use your enneagram type to drive your fitness journey.
Remember, the Enneagram is not designed specifically for fitness, or any one specific area of life. It can be a great tool to guide us through any area of life though! And that’s what brings us here.
NOTE: Learning about your Enneagram type takes a while. It’s an ongoing journey. You’ll want to be aware of that when reading through this post, as we are all somewhere within the Enneagram journey. So don’t get too locked in, and always know that some things may not fit into your exact type and that’s ok!
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type ONE
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 1: The Reformer | Perfectionist
If you’re an Enneagram Type 1, you’re an idealist. A reformer. You want all things to be good and right in the world around you, and you’re constantly looking for how you can make that happen. You’re amazing at organizing and planning, and you’re awesome with detail.
Challenges you might face as a type 1 are that you may become so engulfed with details that you forget to look at the big picture and keep moving. You can be critical of yourself and sometimes of others, although it is motivated by a desire to make sure everything is good, and right, and just. When expectations are unclear, you’ll feel stressed. You’ll want to keep control of everything in life, as much as possible.
What all this means in your health journey is that you’re actually seeking improvement, and therefore your intent is good. You’ll be able to stay grounded and rooted in wellness, instead of getting lost in superficial reasons that are only surface-level. Because you’re focused on details, you’ll be able to analyze a plan for fitness, jump in, and stay on track. You’ll make adjustments when necessary (before things get out of control) and re-evaluate your path to success whenever necessary.
Driving Force For Weight Loss: Focus on the 80/20 rule. This can work wonders for you, and will help you to maintain balance without burning out. It will help you to be a little less hard on yourself. Keep wellness at the center of your pursuit, and choose to dive in full-force after taking some time to gather all your information on whatever plan you’re considering.
Take a more in-depth look at your enneagram type (1) Head HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type TWO
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 2 : Helper | Giver | Befriender
If you’re an Enneagram Type 2, you’re a supporter. A giver. You’re emotionally intelligent, and very caring and nurturing. Relationships are everything to you. You love to serve the people around you, and you love to help them move forward and do better. You’re empowering, and can easily inspire the people around you. You can walk into a room, see a need, and meet it quickly and efficiently.
Challenges you might face as a type 2 are that it can be hard for you to say “no” to people. Especially those you really care about. You can be overly accommodating to others, forgetting to prioritize yourself at times. Then when you don’t get thanks or appreciation for your efforts, it can be extremely upsetting and you can become counterproductive. You might take on too many tasks, and then find it difficult to get to the end of a task as a result.
What all this means in a health journey is that sometimes your own needs might get pushed to the back burner. You may forget to prioritize your health and wellness because you’re focused on everybody else. However, self-care will work wonders for you, so once you see the incredible benefits of focusing on your health and wellness goals, you can continue moving forward.
When you’re starting a health journey, you’ll need to be diligent in asking yourself why you’re actually doing this. Are you doing it because culture and society tell you to? Are you doing it because your friend wants you to? Are you doing it to appease what you think others expect of you? Those are temporal. Dig deep and ask yourself what you need, and why you are doing this. It may be hard to figure out the answer to that question. That will push you forward and keep you on point so you can reach your goals.
Take a more in-depth look at enneagram type (2) HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type THREE
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 3: Performer | Achiever
If you’re an Enneagram Type 3, you thrive on performing. And we’re not just talking about on a stage. Whether it’s a task, a goal, a plan, or whatever else. You’re great at making a goal and crushing it. You’re competitive with yourself and with others. You’re hard-working, and maintain a can-do-it attitude.
Challenges you might face as a type 3 are that you may become unbalanced because of your constant desire to be the best. You might focus so much on winning, that you forget your own emotions until the task is completed. You might place your identity in whether you “succeed” or not, which means you might get caught up in feeling like your worth is determined by your fitness achievement.
What all this means for your health journey is that you’ve got an uncanny ability to slip into “Just Do It” mode. You can see the goal, write it down, and make it happen. You can focus, and keep a positive expectation on the outcome, which can easily lead you all the way to your health goals. You’re not afraid of a challenge, and can push your fears aside in order to move yourself toward accomplishing what you set out to do.
When you slow down and practice mindfulness, you can make your health pursuit more enjoyable and doable over the long term. The truth of the matter is that a health journey will forever be ongoing. So even after you meet your predetermined goal, you’ll still have to pay attention to your daily decisions. Otherwise you’ll revert right back to where you started. This means you should find a plan that is doable for your everyday life so that you don’t reach your goal and suddenly stop doing all the things that got you there.
In order to empower your fitness as a Type 3, set goals. Using short- and long-term goals will drive your pursuit. Make your goals tangible and measurable, and remember to be realistic while also challenging yourself. Sign up for a race, pick a new fitness skill to master, or see if you can beat your last record timing for something. Challenge yourself and compete with yourself and you’ll skyrocket your success.
Take a more in-depth look at your enneagram type (3) Head HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type FOUR
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 4: Romantic | Individualist
If you’re an Enneagram Type 4, you’re creative and love being uniquely individual. You’re in touch with your emotions, and experience feelings deeply. You’re inspiring, and seek meaning through emotional connection. You’re not afraid of experiencing the lower range of emotion, and can easily romanticize about what life could be like.
Challenges you might face as a type 4 are that you tend to have a fantasy picture of what something will be like. You might jump into things pretty quickly, only to find out that those things were not what you expected. After some time, you may find it hard to stay on course because in your mind you had a picture of what you thought it would be like. When things get hard, mundane, uncomfortable, or don’t match the picture or idea you had in mind, you may lose steam.
What all this means in your fitness journey for your is that you’ll thrive when you surround yourself with others who are also working on their health-goals. A community of fitness friends, a gym, or a mom’s morning-walk group can create those meaningful connections that will propel you forward and inspire you to keep going.
Keep a watch for the urge to compare your journey to someone else’s. Remember we’re all different. Our stories don’t look the same. As an enneagram type 4 you may sometimes feel that “grass is greener on the other side” feeling creep up, and that could stall your progress if you let it. Pause and be grateful for where you are and how far you’ve come, even if it doesn’t seem far at all. Practicing this gratitude will help you to avoid becoming envious of someone else’s progress in this area of your life.
You are special and unique. No one has a story quite like yours! Stay true to yourself, keep focused, and be grateful for your own amazingness. Establish some connections with other people who are working on their health just like you are, and let that feeling of connectedness guide you all the way to your goal.
Take a more in-depth look at your enneagram type (4) Head HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type FIVE
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 5 is known as the Observer
If you’re an Enneagram Type 5, you’re a thinker. An analyst. An investigator. You’re an incredible source of knowledge and can remain focused, systematic, and calm. You can make a decision, reflect upon it, and analyze that decision accordingly.
Challenges you might face as a type 5 are that you can get stuck inside your head, so to speak. You might forget to pay attention to your physical body because you’re lost in your thoughts. You might get agitated when someone wants you to give an answer or solution right away, because you’d rather take some time to really think about the situation before extending feedback.
What all this means in your fitness journey is that you will want to truly consider everything before jumping into a plan of action. You won’t hastily jump onto the next fad diet (which is so great!). Instead, you’ll really investigate everything about the plan before proceeding. You’ll determine how trustworthy it is and what it will take to succeed. You’ll consider all angles. This can truly empower you because it will help you to take a solid look at what you’re getting yourself into, which will set you up for true progress as time goes on.
Be open to guidance. As an enneagram type 5, you may feel you don’t need it. But guidance is key in making real strides toward your goals. Allow yourself to trust, and even be a little vulnerable. After all, you thought through everything before jumping in, so now’s the time to relax a bit and keep taking steps forward!
In order to empower your fitness journey, tap into your thirst for knowledge. The healthiest people on the planet are learning new things about health and wellness every single day. There’s so much you can learn. Learn everything you can, and consider the benefits that will come when you apply that information to your lifestyle. Use a systematic approach to reaching your health goals, and you’ll reach them before you know it.
Take a more in-depth look at your enneagram type (5) HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type SIX
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 6 is known as the Questioner
If you’re an Enneagram Type 6, you’re a strategist. You’re looking at all sides of the equation, and constantly scanning your environment for what might go on. You can find the glitch in anything, and subsequently you can work out a solution. You’re good at playing devil’s advocate, and looking at the side of things that others may want to avoid.
Challenges you might face as a Type 6 are that you can be suspicious and skeptical. Your excessive analysis can sometimes cause you not to move forward. This can cause you to be on alert at all times, and therefore have trouble relaxing. You might be consumed with worry, weariness, or procrastination. You want to cover all the basis before moving forward.
What all this means in your fitness journey is that you’re going to want to learn every single detail before diving into a plan of action. You’ll want to analyze the plan, what it will require of you, and whether or not it comes from a credible source. Be careful not to hinder your own progress. You could potentially get too hung up in all the things that are “incorrect” or “not quite right” and then put off getting started at all.
What’s amazing about being a type 6 is that once you do become trusting of the source, you’ll be excellent at developing a plan of action. You’ll reach the finish line brilliantly, by making mini goals, instead of getting overwhelmed with the large task ahead. Make a conscious choice to press past your anxiousness and just start. Then you’ll be ready to run toward the goal.
Take some time to evaluate everything, then allow your strategy-making skills to lead you straight down the path of your healthiest self yet. Don’t wait until you have every single detail figured out. Remember, each day that goes by is a valuable gift. So prioritize your health and just get started. You can figure some things out as you go.
Take a more in-depth look at your enneagram type (6) HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type SEVEN
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 7 is known as the Optimist
If you’re an Enneagram Type 7 you’re always ready for the next adventure! You’re a risk-taker, a visionary, and can easily stay focused on being positive no matter the circumstance. You’re upbeat, energetic, and an avid-learner. Always great at strategizing and seeing possibility in everything.
Challenges you might face as a type 7 are that you want to dance through all of life’s fun experiences, so you may have trouble sticking to one main thing. You may become easily bored, and ready to move onto the next exciting thing. You want freedom to be your own person and to do things your own way.
What all this means in your fitness journey is that you may have some trouble being disciplined and staying the course when it’s no longer new and exciting to be on a fitness journey. You may want to stop, shift gears, and jump onto the next thing that promises quick results in a way that seems more fun. This means you’ll have to consistently revert back to your why, and truly commit to the plan over and over again.
You’re great at seeing the big picture, though, and this works in your favor since wellness should be approached as a longer-term progression rather than a quick fix. Keeping your eyes on the goal, and choosing to stay committed when you don’t feel like it, will lead to success in this area.
As an Enneagram type 7, you’re an inspirer. So as you make progress in your own fitness journey you’ll be compelled to inspire others and that in itself will be new and exciting and reason enough to keep on going!
Take a more in-depth look at your enneagram type (7) HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type EIGHT
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 8 is known as the Challenger.
If you’re an Enneagram Type 8, you’re strong and determined. A leader. You’re good at getting things done. You want everything to be right and just, and you’re not afraid to lead the way in making that happen. You’re bold and courageous, and ready to take the charge.
Challenges you might face as a type 8 come when your work-hard-play-hard mentality becomes excessive. Then comes exhaustion. You might feel like you’re always in a battle within yourself because life is a constant effort to make all things right. You may be skeptical of things, and that may cause you to be stagnant at times.
What all this means in your fitness journey is that you can be extremely courageous and bold in your pursuit, once you figure out your plan. Your tendency to be skeptical may slow that process down a bit. However, that also means you won’t just jump into any random fad diet that’s presented to you. It also means that when you decide to jump into a wellness journey, you’ll be all-in.
With that you’ll want to make sure you take time to regroup, refocus, and take active rest and recovery days. This way you won’t get burnt out. Take time to slow down. Be mindful. Pay attention to your body and your feelings. Then take charge and go for the goal.
Once determining the route that’s best for you you’ll jump in full-force, and you’ll get all the way to where you’re going if you remain focused. Your determination will carry you all the way to the goal, and you’ll be happy to take others along with you if they’re up for the challenge.
Take a more in-depth look at enneagram type (8) HERE
Fitness Approach For Enneagram Type NINE
The ENNEAGRAM TYPE 9 is known as the Peacemaker.
If you’re an Enneagram Type 9 you love connection, harmony, and pleasantness. You’re a mediator. You’ll do everything you can to keep peace within yourself and among the people around you. You’re inclusive, accepting, and can be described as the glue that holds the family/community/group together.
Challenges you might face as a type 9 are procrastination and distraction. Because you tend to stay within your comfort zone, you may push your goals to the side, or say no to opportunities because of their potential to make you feel uncomfortable. You do not like to be overly controlled, or strongly pushed to do things you don’t want to do. Your biggest hindrance is indecisiveness, because you’re great at seeing all sides, and somehow intermingling your opinion with that of those around you.
What all this means in your fitness journey is that you may be slow starting, or even avoid starting a wellness journey for quite some time. You may have trouble nailing down a plan, because you can see pros and cons to every different plan that comes your way. Rather than determining what you feel is best, you might get lost in what someone around you is doing, or enjoying, or pressuring you to do.
What’s great is that as a peacemaker you are a quiet achiever. Meaning that once you settle yourself and decide what’s best for you, you’ll be able to focus, commit, and reach your goal. You can find motivation within yourself, if you can learn to trust yourself enough to do so.
Consistency is a strong suit of yours! So as you settle into the plan of action that’s right for you, you’ll be able to stay the course all the way until you reach your desired goal. As long as you stay focused, commit to being assertive, and go ahead and just start, you’re on your way to real success in this area of your life.
Take a more in-depth look at enneagram type (9) HERE
