Ennea-Thoughts

Ah, the life of an up-and-coming payroll star. It might not be glamorous, but I wouldn't give it up just yet! Pulling an eleven hour day isn't exactly my style, or my idea of fun, but sometimes it's gotta be done. A nice, hot tan at the end of said day sure makes it all worth it. Well, that and the leftover bread sticks for dinner!

So I've been getting these Enneathoughts now for over a year. The Enneagram is most often presented as a system of personality types. Each personality type is characterized by specific patterns of thought, speaking style, feelings, emotions, sensations, and belief systems which are universal to the type. I read my "thought of the day" every day, but only occasionally really pay attention to what it's telling me. Most of the time it suggests I try harder to change myself, but I don't necessarily agree.

My type is 3: the Achiever, aka the Performer. For the most part, I agree with the Enneagram Institute's description of me:

Threes are self-assured, attractive, and charming. Ambitious, competent, and energetic, they can also be status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. They are diplomatic and poised, but can also be overly concerned with their image and what others think of them. They typically have problems with workaholism and competitiveness. At their Best: self-accepting, authentic, everything they seem to be—role models who inspire others.

My Enneathought attempts to give me insight into myself and to help me get to "my best". Sometimes I feel it portrays my type in a bad light, but I don't take it personally because I feel I've gone past the areas it refers to. All of us have things we can work on in our lives to be "better".

Famous Threes include Oprah, Barack Obama, Tom Cruise, Madonna, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. When I look at those people, I do see how I can be compared to them. Not the crazy parts, but the high-level achiever parts. I'm always striving to be more and do more. When you look at what I've been able to accomplish in 18 months, it makes sense.

July 2010 - move to Regina without a job
August 2010 - get lucrative, well-paying payroll job in an expanding corporation
October 2010 - begin first payroll course, at home on my own sans instruction
February 2011 - challenge first course with one exam, achieving a grade of 90%
March 2011 - begin second payroll course, again as a challenge on my own
July 2011 - complete second challenge exam with a grade of 80%
August 2011 - begin third and final payroll course, obviously on my own
November 2011 - complete final challenge exam, achieving a grade of 83%
December 2011 - receive a temporary promotion to a higher position
January 2012 - obtain my PCP certification

Everything I've done in my current career has been to further myself. I'm not interested in just skating by and will never be content in the same position for long. I need variety and to challenge myself. I am a very typical type three. There is definitely more to come for me, because if there wasn't, I wouldn't be who I am!