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Enneagram Type 6 | Drive Your Fitness Journey
How Your Personality Type Can Drive Your Weight-loss Success
There’s a good chance you’re reading this article with some skepticism. I get it. How on earth can a personality test mesh with a fitness journey?
That’s exactly what my hubby asked me as I rambled on and on about this a few weeks ago. I assured him, though, that given the information of someone’s Enneagram personality type, I could help them nail down their individual motivators for weight loss and overall fitness.
The fact of the matter is that the Enneagram has little to do with our actions, and much to do with our motivation for those actions. That’s why it’s hard to nail down someone else’s enneagram type. Because you can’t say for sure why they do what they do. But when you learn your own motivators, you can use those motivators to propel you forward. In any area of your life.
Including fitness.
We all have different motives. Different things that drive us toward where we’re going. And figuring out what that thing is for you, is vital in your fitness journey.Throughout my own massive weight-loss and health journey, I’ve lost a whopping 160 pounds. I know, crazy right?! But here’s the deal.
Most people are tempted to look at my before-and-after snapshot and assume it was a quick fix or the perfect crash diet that led me to that pic on the right.
But that’s so. so wrong.
In actuality, it all had to do with an underlying why.
A motivator.For me, it was because I was 336 pounds and absolutely miserable inside and out. That led me to complete desperation. Desperation became my why, and that led me to my weight-loss pursuit.
If you ask anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight, what made them lose all that weight, you’ll get all sorts of different answers.
But every single person has a motivator.
One of the biggest challenges people have, when I ask my clients, friends, and family? Lack of motivation. Can’t stick to it for the long haul.
But a burst of motivation won’t do it. It’s gotta be rooted more deeply than that. A zap of inspiration, or a really rad motivational quote… not gonna cut it.
BUT… If you can dig a little deeper and find what truly motivates you, at your core, then you’re golden.
Not sure what the Enneagram is? It’s an in-depth set of personality types that is ancient years old. If you’ve never determined your Enneagram type, take the test HERE. I do not receive a commission from this. I just love the enneagram. 😉
What Motivates You At Your Core?
When looking at the Enneagram, you can journey toward discovering what motivates you, but it’s not just designed for fitness or weight loss. It’s much MUCH more encompassing than that. You can use it to help you in virtually any area of your life. Your marriage, your career, your parenting… It’s such an incredibly in-depth tool.
But for the sake of not making this blog post fifty-thousand years long, we’re going to zero in on how you can use knowledge of your Enneagram type, to drive your weight-loss and fitness journey. For a glimpse at all the other types, head HERE.
But for this post, let’s focus specifically on Enneagram Type 6.
Enneagram Type 6: The Loyalist
An Enneagram Type 6 can and will look at every angle. you’ll strategize, analyze, and even play devil’s advocate. You’re a problem finder and a problem solver. You can spot a hidden agenda a mile away, and you’re alert to what’s going on at any given time.
Strengths For An Enneagram Type 6
As an Enneagram Type 6 you’re brilliant. You’re clever, funny, and witty. You’ve got a great sense of humor and a warm heart. You’re intensely loyal, and expect that same loyalty from others. You want to make sure that things are safe, correct, trustworthy, and excellent. You’re compassionate, and value security, coziness, and faithfulness.
You can scan an environment and make an evaluation as to what’s going on at any given time. You’re alert to what’s going on, and like things to be as they should.
Challenges For Enneagram An Type 6
Just as we all do, Enneagram Type 6s have some challenging attributes as well. You tend to worry and become anxious fairly easy. You’re suspicious, even with those who are close to you.
You find it hard to relax. You’re always on alert, and you feel the need to clear all basis before moving forward. You can become weary because of how much energy you put into thought processes and strategies.
Weight-Loss Journey Roadblocks And How To Overcome Them
Weight loss is not easy. Each of us has specific roadblocks that tend to derail us more frequently than not. So let’s take a solid look at three of the main hindrances for weight-loss for Enneagram Type 6s.
It’s important to keep in mind that in this blog post we’re not talking about roadblocks like how dairy affects you or whether you should go gluten-free. We’re talking more about the internal side of things here.
You can visit some of my other blog posts for practical ideas on how to lose the weight.
1. Paralysis By Analysis
As an Enneagram Type 6, you brilliantly investigate all angles of a thing before jumping into it. You want a strategy and purpose in place before proceeding. This can be an awesome strength, but sometimes it can become a roadblock in your health journey.
You might notice that you become so engulfed in strategizing how you’ll approach or achieve something, that you forget to actual jump in and do it.
You can combat this by first becoming aware of this tendency. Next, you can make a commitment to get started even before you have it all figured out. Now we’re not talking about jumping into some random crazy diet craze without considering all the angles.
Give yourself time to process through all the information and what will be expected of you in order to make progress. Then, make a decision to do it.
Don’t allow yourself to become so overwhelmed with the information that you get yourself stuck in that part of it. Remember, making your plan is only a piece of the puzzle. The other huge piece, is actually doing it.
This is what will cause you to make real progress in your health journey.
2. You’re Too Busy Figuring It Out
When you’re ready to make a change, the first thing you’ll do is create a strategy to do so. Whether you’re moved by a doctor’s report, or something else, you’re a pro at investigating the ways in which you can find a solution.
Where this can become a roadblock for an Enneagram Type 6 is that you might spend a lot of time pondering and gathering information before you ever jump into action. This could mean putting off your health journey for a long time.
Instead of allowing this roadblock to overtake you, give yourself a time limit for how long you’ll strategize before you get started. Will it be three weeks? A month? A few days?
Make it a point to not have it all figured out before you get moving on your health goals. Remember, the health journey is ever-evolving and forever a quest for knowledge. So allow some pieces of the puzzle to be missing even before you start because otherwise you may never do it.
3. You Don’t Trust The Process
As an Enneagram Type 6 you can spot the error in anything. Because you’re so hyper aware of what’s wrong, you can grow a little skeptical or suspicious. Within a health journey, this could cause you to avoid asserting yourself to better your health because you don’t have faith in the process.
To combat this, choose a plan of action that truly focuses on health. Make sure it’s put in place by a credible source; someone or something you trust. This will help you to be at ease, at least enough to take action and stick with it.
Choose a plan of action that aligns with your specific reason for working on your health. If it’s blood sugar issues, choose a plan that specifically helps with blood sugar issues. Allow that strategy to propel you forward in your pursuit of health.
How To Choose A Fitness Plan
There are so. many. options. *insert facepalm here*
Seriously if I get another crash diet flashed across my screen I’m gonna scream.
Here’s the deal. I may be completely bias, but I am so against dieting. There’s a ton of research that shows that restricting your food intake and jus general “dieting” in general does more harm than good, and I can totally relate.
But that doesn’t mean that weight-loss can’t be an option for you. What it means is that you don’t have to torture yourself into losing weight. Instead, you need to find a plan that works for you. One that is doable, and balanced, HEALTHY, and enjoyable. Sound crazy? I’m sure! The diet industry wants to scare you into weight-loss. But not this girl. Nope.
Trusted Source
As an Enneagram Type 6 you’re not the type of person who’s going to jump on a diet because it’s the latest craze, and you may hesitate to take action if you don’t find a realistic plan of action.
A great plan or program for you will be one that is realistic, doable, sustainable, and trustworthy. No crazy restrictive, magical potion, massive-weight-loss-promising diets for you.
When you find a plan of action that will strategically meet your health needs, you’re able to relax yourself enough to increase momentum. Choose a trustworthy plan that focuses on wellness, and allows room for real life.
Self-Guided
Because you’re excellent at strategizing and solving problems, you’ll do great with a self-guided program. You’ll want to understand all the expectations as you get started, but then as you learn what you need to do, you can take the reins and start making true progress.
You’re smart! So you can use your cleverness to explore options within the guidelines that you’ve been given. Whether it’s a variety of meal options that meat the core principles of the plan, or trying a different exercise routine, you’ll be great at finding ways to stay on track in a way that works for you.
Clearly Explained, But Flexible
As an Enneagram Type 6 you’ll surely want all the details laid out ahead of time. This will give you as much information as possible so you can check that part off your list.
Choose a plan of action that clearly defines what you need to do, but also allows you the flexibility to live your life. This will help you to thrive, and will push you toward the healthiest you yet.
Choose A Plan Of Action Not A Diet
Steer clear of crash diets. Seriously. Run the other direction. If you need some help with weight loss without the rigidity of a hardcore diet, try my six-week weight-loss program. You’ll get all the details and expectations in a simplified way, and then you’ll learn how to balance it all out so you can live your life while making progress toward the healthiest you yet.
Key Motivator For Enneagram Type 2
As an Enneagram Type 6, your biggest motivator is strategy. You can use this as a phenomenal tool in your health and fitness journey.
This might look different for different Type 6s, but you can easily leverage your Enneagram type to empower your fitness journey by digging deep to find your why. Go back to what led you to start pursuing a fitness journey in the first place.
Was it because you felt lousy all the time? Did you clothes start feeling uncomfortable? Did you get a less-than-favorable report from your doctor? Use that driving force to create a strategy for solving the problem.
Keep this at the forefront of your mind because your mind is always consumed by figuring it out. Allow yourself to make adjustments in your eating and exercise patterns, as you discover more about how to overcome the struggle you’re having in this area of your life.
Using strategy to empower your fitness pursuit will keep you on track and help you to make real progress so you can become the healthiest you yet.
