86: Productivity - How to be more productive based on your enneagram type

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Welcome to the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. I am your host, Tracy o'. Malley. I'm a mom to millennials, an author, Enneagram expert and multi million dollar entrepreneur, and master performance and business coach. I've gone from rock bottom to building a bulletproof business and life. If you're looking for the unfiltered transparent truth and ethos, an extra kick in the ass, you will discover that here. Each week I'll be bringing you success stories of high level entrepreneurs as we discover how they became bulletproof and created their empire. You'll learn the story behind the glory along with Enneagram inspired truths so you can ignite your own purpose profits and build your legacy. It's time for you to become bulletproof. Buckle up. Let's go.

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. And I know there's so many of you listening right now that you get through your day and you're like, what the hell? How did I miss so many hours in the day? Where did the day go? You have a to do list a mile long and you barely knocked out one or you got sidetracked or like whatever it is, you look back and it's like, holy shit, how did that happen? I'm somebody that has like a really good memory for like numbers and dates and things like that, but if you asked me what I did in a day, I would literally have to sit down and really think about what I do. And I realized in doing that, like, not keeping track of my day so much, especially my work days.

I was wasting a lot of time. And I know for so many of you, you know, with this last year especially, you know, we have been thrust into this plot twist, so to speak, with COVID and just everything changing, a political environment, that's crazy. It's like everything that could be thrown on the fire has been thrown onto the fire. And that disrupts a lot of routines for your health, A lot of routines in your business, a lot of routines in your relationships, and all hell's breaking, lo. And I know for myself.

Being an 8 on the enneagram, there are certain things I really have to be mindful of, especially when everything's out of control. So I'm going to talk today about how you can be more productive based on your Enneagram type. And I really like to share all the types in these episodes because it's important to know you first and foremost. But people that you love and lead or parent, it's really important if you're helping people grow Whether you're raising them or leading them or loving them, how to best motivate them to be more productive. And I know like for myself, when I tried to get my kids to produce earlier, when I was only talking like an eight, no wonder nothing ever happened. And what that leads to is more frustration, feeling like you have less control, you know, then you start going into compensatory strategies that don't serve you. And then shame comes and the cycle continues and then it feels like we never get anything done. Right. So I'm going to talk about each Enneagram type and some productivity types for you guys and also what the motive is behind that. And so if you are leading, loving, parenting yourself or somebody else, knowing that their core desire has a lot to do with how they can be productive. And if you can speak to their core desire, their core motive, the chances of them being more productive are better, including yourself. So for me, I, I'll give you myself for an example because as an enneagram8, my core desire is to be like self governed, independent. When I have too much structure that I feel like I'm being controlled by it, the chances of me being a little more rebellious.

Sabotaging things like that can come into play. And then I don't get anything done and then I, I get angry because they get angry and then we'll lash out at people. And so you can see how that cycle happens. But knowing that that is my core motive is to be in control, have control, not control everybody, but have personal control. And being independent and not relying on other people. I am very aware of that at all times, in every way that I communicate, the way even that I set up my schedule. Before I used to just like power through and have a huge chunk of time that I just would like go balls out. But now knowing that about myself, I spread out my day. So I may work more days, but it's more spread out. So it doesn't feel as though I'm being controlled as much. And knowing this about myself or if I was leading an 8, that has a lot to do with it. And it's so funny because, you know, I do a lot of personal coaching and if this is something that you really want to use as an effective tool, the Enneagram, it is best to have a guide that is very skilled at it. A, to get your type right because then you're on the right soul roadmap, right? First and foremost. And B, how to integrate it into your life, your business, your relationships, whatever it is for you it's great to have a guide do this. And it's funny because, you know, with all my personal coaching and I have coached hundreds and hundreds of people on the enneagram and typing sessions and when it's time for them to book their next session, the thing about me is like, it's not so structured for everyone. Certain types I know need to have structure like my ones out there. They need to know and they need to like. And so do the Sixes. They want to know where. If I'm coaching an 8, I'm like, listen, I understand that you might want some time to process this. So what I suggest is not waiting more than a month. But I want you to know that you can choose when that is. And usually when you speak to each type's core desire, core motive, you get a lot more out of them and they actually do more. And they, they appreciate that. They feel seen, heard and understood. And you've heard me say, when people are seen, heard and understood, you are able to help people grow and lead and, and anything is possible. So we're going to go through productivity, productivity tips for each Enneagram type. And if, if you are wanting to dive deeper into this and know your type for sure and how to integrate this in your life, you can go to traceyomally.com, the work with.

I am doing this definitely through the end of the year. Not sure after that what that looks like. Might just be group, I'm not positive yet. Or you can hit me up on Instagram traceyomally and I can find you the link there. So here we go. So, you know, in this crazy fast paced world, being productive is an important skill to master. And because so many of us are navigating and trying to, you know, quote unquote, balance home life, work life, and now doing it remotely from home while you're all under one roof, doing that more than ever, being productive is an important skill to master. I don't like to say that I'm busy because busy doesn't necessarily mean productive, especially if we feel like we're spinning out. So if we can be more efficient, effective and productive, this is where the sweet spot is. And this is how you're able to actually enjoy present moments when you know that you are handling shit. I'm here to tell you, you can find so much joy in being present in your conversations. You aren't checking your phone, you don't feel like something's missing. You're gonna sleep a hell of a lot better. I know there's a lot to get done and the more effectively that you can do it and the close, the closer you'll actually become to achieving your goals personally and professionally.

Productivity skills can also support you in leading a more harmonious life. Because balance right now, let's just be real, it's hard to do. And I think it's like this idealization of what's possible. But I like harmony even in the crazy. So leading a more harmonious life and working when you need to work and building in the time for really self honoring, which is your health and your emotional wellness and your spiritual fitness and play. I think play is really, really important to keep us young. But then getting shit done and building a legacy and an empire that allows you to have more time and play and rest. So looking beyond like goal setting, I think it's really important to see the summit. I was talking about this on a coaching call yesterday. Like, the summit is like the holy grail where you want to go. If you've ever hiked any mountains in here, here in Arizona we have plenty of them. Like everybody wants to get to the top to take the selfie, right and say I fucking did it. But what happens is there's so many twists and turns and corners that you don't see climbing up that way. And just being open to how that looks and building off your core motive will allow you to not get derailed when something comes up, right? So this will be really, really, really helpful for you. This will help you build greater productivity and more life management skills. So here are some tips for each enneagram to really hone in your productivity and go a little deeper than just getting shit done, right? So for the enneagram, type 1, the core desire in everything they do, whether it's through communication, work, family, is to be good or to be right. So they're constantly looking to improve things. They're called the reformer, the improver, sometimes the perfectionist. But I'm trying to get rid of that one because it's just perfectionism is like a prison.

So ones want to be right, good, correct, responsible, appropriate, accurate. They're super virtuous, ethical and they're full of integrity and they have super high standards. So for ones that are always like trying to be better, better, better, they can miss the point and they can become so fixated on things and when they get stressed out, they become more self absorbed and it gets super critical. So for one, if you aim for 90%, aim for 90% and know that the other 10%, it's going to be okay when stressed. You hold yourself to such a high standard, a higher standard than you need to. So beginning your work can seem like arduous. Aiming for 90% in your work is realistic. In fact, a high bar, like, that's a higher bar than all the other types. But we all know that, like, you guys set the bar really high for everything. And you're what keep keeps things so in high standard and super integrity. Like, we love that about you. And we also know that if. If you weren't as high as 90%, you might go batshit crazy a little bit. So that bar is so high, but it leaves you energy for necessary rest. If you're just 100% all the time, you're gonna burn out and you're gonna explode on people. And because you're all about being good, then you could go into anger, resentment. And we all know what happens when we go there. So make the 90% rule your new standard, and you'll find that you actually get things done more quickly, more effectively. And when you have some more rest and play, because a one in growth goes to the seven, the enthusiast, that means you're growing. And type ones because I know you want to be right. Growing is a good thing. So 90%, 10%, build in the fun, build in the rest. For the enneagram type twos, the helpers, the core desire is to be loved and wanted and desired. So when twos want to be loved, wanted, needed, appreciated, and be seen as kind and helpful people. And so for you guys, you can be so wrapped up in other people's stuff and helping that you kind of dismiss your own needs. So for type 2s to be more productive, limitations your people time.

So I'm raising a two, and I've helped him kind of structure his day that he gets in his personal self, honoring goals at the front end of the day. And if he has a busy day, he wakes up a little bit earlier. Like things that take care of his health, take care of his spiritual fitness. So that way he's doing his people time coming from an authentic and genuine place, not because he's trying to fill a hole that's missing because he hasn't been taking care of himself. Type 2's limiting your people time until you've accomplished your stuff, because under stress, you tend to get sidetracked from the tasks and attending to by attending to relationships. It's a form of disassociation. And we justify it because we're just being so helpful. But anytime we disassociate from our authentic self and our own needs.

You're going to have resentment because a two under stress goes to that unhealthy eight. And you guys know me like that gets pretty.

Aggressive. And for a two to get aggressive and then they bury themselves in shame. So for a two, if you give yourself some built in structure such as time, limited meetings with other people. So if you set like a lunch date or a coffee date, put a time block on it and set deadlines to accomplish your non interpersonal stuff. This way you'll find plenty of time for your relationship building if you stick to your schedule and you stay on top of it. Watching my son do this has been amazing because he's realized he actually doesn't have to spend as much time with people. But they receive even more authenticity and love from him and he feels better about himself because he's doing that. So for my type twos out there, it's going to be really, really important. Boundaries, you guys know I've talked about the twos before. Boundaries will be your best friend. And I know at the beginning of this it feels like torture, but I'm telling you this is where you will find some, some peace and you'll feel really good about pouring into people because you know it's coming from a genuine place and not because you're trying to fill this hole of being loved, wanted, needed. Okay, so my type threes, my achievers, the core desire there core motive is to be valuable. Being successful. They believe that what they do and who they are is how they earn love, respect, worthiness, all the things. So threes want to be valuable, like I said, successful, admired, respected and praised. So the threes can take on the role of the chameleon. Threes and nines especially can take that on because they want to read situations and figure out what their audience, whether it's in their home, their parents, the entrepreneur land business, whatever that looks like, they figure out what they need to be and they'll do it and they'll crush it because that's what they feel is how they are valuable. But what happens is they burn out. Their self care goes to shit. They lose relationships because they're so fixated on that. So for a three, if you build a thoroughness of process into your task completion. So because you're all about like the finish line, the finish line, sometimes you can half ass shit. So if you really give yourself a little more time to accomplish something and be thorough and what happens when you're thorough is you start to feel things which I know that's not a three's favorite thing to do, but. No, that's where the real value comes, is being thorough. Okay. When stressed, the threes definitely have a tendency to cut corners and focus on presenting the shiny facade. Right. They can do the glow up on you and slap a band aid on it, but they get things done. And a lot of times that will, that will help them get by on that. But I want you guys, if you're a three, to look at the minutia of your work that not everyone will see. Getting everything done right with attention to details will actually ensure that your work is outstanding. And you won't have to, like, do any damage control on the back end, because if a 3 has to do damage control, that is hard for them because their image can be tainted in their eyes. And so if you take the time on the front end to be a little bit more thorough, you'll actually realize that you have more energy. You won't feel so depleted and you won't have to keep up this front all the time. When I can see a three kind of loosen up a little bit on the end game and actually find some joy in the journey, that is where their peace and happiness comes and they actually end up more successful, quite honestly. And their relationships thrive and their health thrives and all the things. So my threes take note. My enneagram fours, my individualist, their core desire, their core motive, and everything they do is to be authentic and being uniquely themselves.

They want to feel like they're special and they want to find their own specific place in the world. One of the things that four struggle with is believing that the grass is greener somewhere else. So they're always kind of reinventing themselves. And so what happens is they can be afraid of commitment, they can seem flaky, but they're. They're constantly striving to be their very best self.

And that can feel sometimes as a self absorbed because they, they really want to.

Feel significant. But when they get the blinders on and they go down the dark hole, this can really spin them out because then they start to withdraw and isolate from life, which is the last thing from productive. And then because they know, then they go to shame, because the two threes and fours goes to shame. And then the cycle gets worse. So for type fours, this is a huge productivity tip for you, is to actually make commitments. Don't just leave everything out to, hmm, I wonder what's going to happen. Like, if you want to be with somebody, make the commitment plan in advance. If you want to do something in your career, make a commitment and move forward. You know, all this indecision in a 4's brain actually spins them out even more and then they feel even more inadequate. So make your commitments. When A4 is stressed, you can lose focus.

On your objective goals because the subjective world seems so much bigger. So commit to specific outcomes in spite of fluctuating feelings. Because A4 rides the wave of feelings. And, and for those of you that love or lead a fort, know how real their feelings are. They seem all over the place, but it's so true to who they are. But for the four yourself, you have to keep moving forward in spite of the fluctuating feelings and keep yourself on track with reminders like, I'm alright, this is okay, I can feel this, I can feel this, I can ride this wave, right? Instead of just like jumping ship every time the feeling changes, build time for subjective processing into your schedule. Doing some journaling before work at the front of your day, really get it out of your head so you can kind of have the clutter clear a little bit. And this will allow you to have more clarity to meet what it is that you really, really want. And you'll do it with more clarity. My type fives, the investigators, your core desire, core motive for everything you do is to be capable, competent. So they want to know all the things. They want to be self sufficient, they don't want to rely on people in a different way than eights, but they really want to self sufficient and well informed. So for the type fives, a lot of times they go down the rabbit hole of information overload because they want to be prepared. Because what if, what if you know, because the five, six and sevens, they're in the brain mind triad and you know, fear and anxiety is that underlying emotion for the five sixes and sevens and their need for certainty, like all three of those types need some kind of certainty. So the fives go down like analysis paralysis sometime. And what happens is they disconnect themselves so far from any kind of feeling that they lose relationships, they can't feel connection.

The tasks that they need to get done don't get done because they go down the rabbit hole, literally. They can stay up all night through the Google trap and then the next thing you know, their self care goes to shit, their relationships go to shit, their productivity goes to shit. So for type fives, seek out new possibilities. And when stressed, you know, you can become so narrowly focused and you may be productive in one area. Like I said, but you're neglecting others. The other thing that a type 5 can do when they're under stress is they may almost like because they go into the unhealthy seven, they become so scattered, they can almost appear manic sometimes. So the big thing for a five, especially when you feel like you're not being productive, is to connect with people and colleagues, especially in the workplace. Connect with people that care about you in your home and share what you're each working on, right? Take on a project that deviates you from the norm, which for five, they don't like that. But this is really how you grow. Seeking out.

Experiences will bring out the most productive side of your innovative thinking. And this is how, like, this like for a 5, this is how your creative juices flow is getting out of the norm. And I know it's not what you normally typically like. We all like what we know and what's safe, but if we're not growing, we're dying, right? So Fives keep doing new things and actually talk to people about it. You won't be. You won't be deflated and your energy will actually grow a little bit more. Definitely take time for yourself, but, you know, there's this harmony you must have here to stay productive. Enneagram6, the loyalists, again, they're in the head triad. So certainty, especially out of all the Enneagram types, certainty is the most.

Important, I would say, to the loyalist, because their core desire, core motive in everything they do on top of having certainty is to be secure and safe. And so if they don't have certainty, they can become frantic, right? They want to be protective and have guidance all the time and reliability. So what happens a lot of time, especially if they don't feel that and they need that guidance and reliability, they can go down the rabbit hole of asking everybody and their mother for an opinion. And then there's all these differing opinions. And it also, it can actually make it worse because then there's no certainty when, with all these differences of opinions, right? So for type 6, it's really important to have your core people, right? Maybe a core person. Like if you don't have it all in one person, which I think it's good to have maybe two or three go tos, especially for a six, like 100% reliable people. And if you can have somebody that understands all aspects of your life, you know, especially if you're a business entrepreneur, like, if you're asking somebody who isn't an entrepreneur for their guidance, it's going to spin a six out even more, right? So for a six, especially whether it's your health, your relationships, and your business, like maybe have one person that specializes in that area. And if you need certainty in one of them to be productive in one of those areas, you go to those person, those people. Now, if you've got a person that can do all of that, even better, seek out support, but seek out support for achievements, but make sure your discernment is on for who you're asking. Otherwise, it's just gonna be a big old waste of time. When you're under stress, my six is you sometimes procrastinate by doing the busy work, content creation, cleaning the closet, the junk drawer, while putting off the necessary stuff like adulting. Use your relational skills like you guys are master relational people, to create mutual accountability. Like I said, with a friend, colleague, group, person. And that's, you know, my best friend. She's a six. And this is a beat, a beautiful thing, you know, when she's spinning out, I mean, it's a lot, but I know that. And because I can kind of rein it in for her, the time spent spinning out is a lot less. Right. And we do have that mutual accountability. And when you have that, each of you can regularly remind each other of the tasks that you need to get done. Like, her and I both procrastinate adulting shit because I don't want to be controlled and because she's afraid. Right? Two totally different motives behind it, but it looks very much the same. And so by having each other accountable, we can have the gentle reminder and knowing how to say it in a way that feels motivating and more productive. We get a lot of shit done. And I know that's what you want. All right, my type, sevens, my enthusiasts, your core desire and core motive is to be satisfied, to be happy, content.

Unrestrained, and free. You don't ever want to be tied down.

And you want to always have the choice to go somewhere else. And what happens is, because you're always kind of looking for that, especially if you're not the healthiest. You're bouncing from thing to thing to thing, and you feel like you're in a pinball machine all the time, and then you don't get anything done. And the thing with the sevens, they are so innovative and they are so brilliant that if you can have some, just even a little bit of structure to this or a supporting cast of people that help you keep some structure, this is when you'll be able to shine, be more effective, and More productive. So especially when you're in your creative mode, creating a limited time and space for new ideas will be important so you can stay on task a little bit. When a seven is stressed, you take on the unhealthy one, which is that reformer, and you can kind of become so rigid and ocd, which is so out of your normal nature. But when you're stressed, you look toward future possibilities and don't always finish your present ones, especially if the present ones don't feel as warm and fuzzy as maybe they once did. Right? How you can kind of nip this in the bud is by having a set daily time, even if it's just 20 minutes and a set place like a notebook, so you can kind of brain dump, right? This will be really, really, really important for the sevens out there. And when you have an inspiration for a new project, add it to your brainstorming book and set it aside for later and refocus. And actually, if you have power partners who like, are really good with structure ones, sixes, eights, they can help you and not dim your light and your creative and enthusiastic self, but actually enhance it, which will make you, you more creative, more effective, more productive, which then you can really, really work on, work within your gifts. All right, my fellow challengers, the Type Eights, like I said, our core desire, core motive is to be self governed, independent, not vulnerable. We want to be able to protect ourselves and those we care about and we will do that at all costs. And so like what I've said before, my therapist originally thought I was a three because I have the behaviors of an achiever. The behaviors, not the motive, because I have the behaviors of the achiever. My goal for being an achiever isn't because I believe that I need that to be loved, but it's because I want to be able to protect myself and to be independent. I don't want to have to rely on anybody, right? And so what happens sometimes is I can be rebellious, especially if I feel like I'm being controlled. Even on my own schedule, being self employed for most of my adult life, other than three years, I've been, you know, an entrepreneur. My adult life, other than the three years and no wonder. When I was a corporate employee, I was at my very worst. I was super rebellious, I wasn't productive, I got shit done because I didn't want to rely on anybody. But I created an environment that was really, really toxic because of that, right? So if you're a type 8, especially if you're an entrepreneur building time into your schedule where you feel like you have some freedom and you aren't being controlled by it because otherwise you're going to resent your own business. If you are a partner with an 8, know this about them. It'll be really, really important that they believe it's their idea. If you try to control an 8, it's not going to end well and they'll almost be so stubborn they'll do the opposite. Even if it's in their greatest interest to follow along. If they feel like they're being controlled, they'll do the opposite. So if you're an 8, block out time for reflection and strategy. I do this every single day and usually the night before the next day, I'll kind of like bullet point out what definitely has to happen in the next day and it frees my mind and I don't feel as controlled. And if stuff comes up, I know I have enough buffer room to handle some stuff. Most of the time for eights, it's not a problem for you to act.

We get things done. But under stress, we can definitely put the cart before the horse. Right? So having time laid out to look at which, like, long term strategies are best for your goals will save you from making super impulsive, hasty, and costly choices. I am definitely. I'm one of those that have made some very expensive lessons. I don't call them mistakes because they're lessons. So really building that time in to have a more effective strategy rather than coming in hot all the time will be really helpful. And it also may be helpful to seek and consider input from others before you make decisions as well. And I know my eights out there just are like, oh, hell no. Right? Because we don't want to have to rely on anybody doesn't mean you have to take their advice. Right? But I have like two or three people that I will ask for their opinions. It doesn't mean I'm always going to take it, but I trust them and I respect them because I've kind of vetted them in my own brain. So I will take feedback because it will at least open my mind. Like, huh, I didn't think of that. Now usually I'll do what I want to do anyway, but at least that pausing will really save me from some really costly and expensive lessons. All right, my last type. My type nine, my peacemakers. Your core desire and core motive is to be at peace internally and in your environment, to have harmony. And so this is going to be really, really big for you guys. You want to be Connected, untroubled. You want things to be easy. And so for type nines productivity, you guys probably struggle the most with productivity because you're always kind of just bouncing from thing to thing and you can be easily distracted if you don't have a reign on this.

So things that you can do will be really important to find ways to help with your confidence. Affirmations are great, but I think they're just words unless you start to believe them. So really finding your voice and knowing that your voice matters and your opinion matters, and start exercising that muscle a little bit will help build your confidence. Not just saying affirmations, but actually build the muscle by using it and using your voice. Because when you guys are stressed, you can take on the unhealthy six and you can start to spin out a little bit. And you, you can start like speaking badly about yourself and kind of building a case against yourself, believing that you're not ready or doubting whether this is something you really want to do and so on. And then the procrastination kicks in. Nobody struggles more with procrastination than the nine. So really building this muscle is going to be so important for you, right? So countering that negative talk with assertive mental words like, I know I can get this done, I'm committed to it, it will help and really look. And if you struggle with even that, look for areas where you've actually done something, like look for proof. And it's hard when we are in a pit. It's hard to find proof even in our own brain. But it's going to be really, really important. If you want something different, my nines, you're going to have to do something different. So these are just a few tips to help you get started. Obviously, there is so much more complexity to life, to business, to relationships, to health. But, you know, definitely knowing your core motive and knowing that that drives everything will really help you kind of get back on track a lot faster. Seeking support from others, especially those that have your very best interest at heart, even if they don't agree with it, will be really important. Having a guide like me to really help you build that muscle. So when you do go out into the world on your own with this or even with friends and colleagues and family members and partners and lovers and all the things you have built your muscles strong enough with a guide like me that you feel confident in that and you know that you won't get derailed. So like I said, this is all about building the muscle. And I've said this before you don't decide you're going to start working out and then be in the Olympics tomorrow. It takes time, it takes conditioning, it takes consistency and you don't need to do this perfectly. Every single baby step is an improvement to being more productive and effective and harmonious in your life, in your business and your relationships and your health. So, so important. This has been game changing for me for sure.

Really having that.

Like definitely put in place has helped tremendously. So if you guys love this episode, if you got something out of this that you really needed, please let me know. Screenshot this Share this You can tag me tracyomalley on Instagram and if you have any more ideas on things you would love to hear about on this podcast, please don't hesitate to reach out. If you loved it, leave a review too. I'd love to hear what you're thinking about it. Until next time, here's to Becoming Bulletproof.

Thank you for tuning in to the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. If you learned a thing or two from our show today, it would mean a lot to me if you shared it and tagged me so I can hear exactly what landed on your heart. This will help me to bring you even more episodes with the topics and guests you want. Please head over to itunes and leave an honest and loving five star review. If this made an impact on you, you can find me on Instagram tracyomalley and I have tons of free resources for you@traceyomalley.com and as always, if you are wanting to ignite your purpose, profits and build your legacy, it's time to stand on the front line of your life and do the work. Let's become Bulletproof.