Whether you are at the beginning of a self-discovery journey, or well into your own personal development experience, personality assessments, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the Big Five Personality Traits, can provide valuable insights that can help us tune into our unique traits and tendencies.
Some find fault with these assessments because they tend to categorize us based on a relatively small number of psychological dimensions.
Granted, these tools, like all tools, have limitations, but using them, with the right context and provisos, can help shed light on our own preferences, strengths, and weaknesses as well as the characteristics of others.
Though personality assessments are by no means foolproof, by helping us to understand our personality type, they can lead us to make more informed decisions, choose more suitable career paths, and improve our relationships with others.
Get Your Own Personality Assessment
Understanding Personality Assessments
Personality assessments often use questionnaires or tests to determine personality traits, behavioral patterns, and preferences.
These assessments are based on established psychological theories and research, providing a reliable framework to understand ourselves better.
By using personality assessments, we can uncover hidden aspects of our personalities, identify our strengths, and acknowledge areas where we may need improvement.
If nothing else, personality assessments can be thought provoking, and encourage us to ponder what we really think about different statements, preferences, or ideas.
In this way, personality assessments may also help us in these areas essential to personal development and fulfillment:
- Self-Awareness: Personality assessments can provide clear insights into our behavioral tendencies and emotional patterns. This awareness allows us to better understand why we react in certain ways, helping us make more conscious choices and decisions.
- Personal Growth: By recognizing our strengths, we can leverage them to achieve our goals and aspirations. Additionally, identifying areas for improvement enables us to develop new skills and overcome challenges.
- Improved Relationships: By gaining insights into our communication styles, preferences, and conflict resolution strategies, we can improve our interactions and foster healthier connections with those around us.
How to Choose the Right Personality Assessments for You
With so many personality assessments available, it may take a little research to find the one that’s best for each of us.
A few of the most popular assessments include:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI is a widely-used assessment that categorizes individuals into one of 16 personality types based on four key dimensions: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.
It provides insights into how we perceive the world and make decisions.
Big Five Personality Traits
The Big Five model focuses on five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
This assessment provides a comprehensive overview of an individual’s personality traits.
Enneagram
The Enneagram is a personality typing system that identifies nine different personality types.
It delves into motivations, fears, and desires, helping individuals gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their behaviors.
Apply Insights from Personality Assessments to Your Life
Once we have completed a personality assessment, it’s important to apply what we have learned to our daily lives. Here are a few ways to do so:
- Engage in regular self-reflection to understand how your personality traits influence your thoughts, actions, and relationships. Consider journaling or meditation as tools for self-reflection.
- Use the knowledge gained from personality assessments to set meaningful goals that align with your strengths and values. This will increase your chances of success and fulfillment.
- Identify areas for improvement and seek personal development opportunities that can help you grow. This could involve attending workshops, reading self-help books, or seeking guidance from a mentor or coach.
Personality assessments can be valuable tools for self-discovery, providing insights into our unique traits and helping us navigate our personal and professional lives.
By embracing self-awareness and utilizing what we learn, we can embark on a personal growth journey and build stronger, more fulfilling relationships.
So, take the first step today and discover the power of personality assessments for self-discovery.
Thank you as always for reading.
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Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach. Her career includes 20+ years as a health care executive and 15 years (and counting) as a consultant. The common thread through Joan’s professional life has been a commitment to lead, mentor and coach current and future leaders, and women from all walks of life. KindCompassCoach provides information and advice grounded in Joan’s personal experience; however, all articles are backed by research and provide facts and advice from a wide variety of experts. Joan also serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me.
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