Although it’s true that there are external factors outside of your control that may affect this growth, the majority of your obstacles are self-imposed and are in your control. Let’s focus on that.

“But how does one do that, Coach Hayden?”

Oh, I’m so glad that you asked.

The first step in achieving growth in your business/career/life is to be aware of your typical self-sabotaging behavior that is counterproductive to what you want to accomplish and who you want to become.

The second step is asking yourself whether or not you want to put the effort into changing your self-sabotaging behavior, but I will save that for a future post!

You need to be aware of when you’re acting and thinking in counterproductive ways in order to course correct to a more effective path to your goals.

One way to do this is to get to know which type of  “Self-Saboteur” you are. Based on a tool called the Enneagram, there are 9 distinct personality types and motivation styles.

Becoming familiar with which one you are is a great starting point to develop into a more effective person in order to march more confidently towards building the life, career, and business that you want.

Increased self-awareness is what leads to a more balanced approach of the three elements crucial to success: productive action, improved critical analysis, and better emotional intelligence.

Now before you “skeptics” (type 6) or “over-analyzers” (type 5) get your knickers in a twist by saying things like “I don’t like labels” or “This puts people in boxes” or “I am ALL the types” or “Let me see the data on this!” … let me say this…

(Which by the way, how may shooting down an idea or getting defensive immediately be a self-limiting behavior, hmm? And yes, there is plenty of data on how increased self-awareness leads to better results.)

I don’t like labels either. I realize that we are all unique complex individuals (like snowflakes, right?), and learning your personality type is not meant to box you in. In fact, deepened awareness sets you free because you will be able to more effectively catch yourself when you’re in self-limiting action, thought, and feeling patterns. Once you’re aware of your type, you can also start drawing upon the strengths of the other types to more effectively navigate the often choppy waters of your career, business, and life.

In addition, yes it’s true that we have parts of all the types in us, but there will be a core type that you’ll resonate with the most as well as a secondary type. For those who reallywant an official assessment of their type, there are professional companies who have very thorough questionnaires to determine types with multi-page reports of your results and how to use the information for personal and professional growth. I happen to a certified practitioner of this tool…more on that later.

And lastly, for those who get hung up on debating the accuracy of the tool, just remember that it’s just a tool. It’s a tool to open up your self-awareness on how you may be getting in your own way and an invitation to explore more effective ways to approach your situation.

Here are the 9 Enneagram types. So, which type of Self-Saboteur do YOU resonate with the most?

Type One: The Strict Perfectionist
My core motivation is that I have to do the right/good thing.
I like things to be perfect. If I really care about something, I will spend a lot of time working to make it right. I can be extremely organized about things I care about. If only people knew how hard I can be on myself at times! It’s as if I have a voice in my head that constantly judges how well I am doing. I don’t like errors, and I hate making mistakes. Sometimes I get stressed out at how much I have to do, and I feel like I have to do it right. Others sometimes think that I can be too serious. I guess I do like to get things done right, but I like to have a good time like everyone else.
Examples of getting in my own way include: procrastination due to “perfection paralysis”, a harsh inner critic, a complicated relationship with anger, as I may get angry easily when others violate my principles, or I may get angry at myself when I don’t live up to my own ideals. I may have black and white definitions of what is right or wrong.

Type Two: The Considerate Helper
My core motivation is that I need to be liked and appreciated.
I love being useful and being able to give to others. I often find myself doing so much for others, though, that I get worn out and wish I had more time and energy for myself. At moments like this, I wish that I could say ‘no’ better and take better care of myself. I love feeling loved and appreciated, especially when someone goes out of their way to thank me. On the other hand, when some people think that I’m trying to control the situation, it hurts my feelings. All I’m trying to do is help!
Examples of getting in my own way include: not taking care of my own needs, over involving myself in other people’s projects, lives, and issues, being manipulative (giving help in order to get something in return), being too needy or dependent, and having excessive pride where I believe that I’m indispensable and overly important.

Type Three: The Competitive Achiever
My core motivation is that I need to be the best and outshine the rest.
I want to be the best I can be at what I do. I am very goal driven. I believe that people are what they achieve, and I have achieved a lot. I get frustrated when others waste time or mess it up. Some people call me competitive, and although I admit that I am, I also do well on teams. I tend to care a lot about my reputation and how others see me. When I have a goal I care about, I can focus and get it done. Why do anything if you cannot be the best at it?
Examples of getting in my own way include: avoidance of failure, vanity (“looking good” is important), and deceit (projecting an image of “success” when things actually may be worse than I am letting on).
Type Four: The Intense Creative
My core motivation is that I have to be unique/authentic.
I love feeling my emotions. Many people consider me creative and artistic. I feel most alive when I express myself and when others understand me for who I am. I like to think of myself as unique and different from everyone else. But sometimes I feel misunderstood and lonely. Some say that I am dramatic, but I am only expressing how I feel. I want a deep connection with others. I am after what is true, real, and beautiful. Feelings are extremely important to me. I am what I feel. I don’t mind feeling sad. It’s a human emotion like any other, and emotions do pass. What’s most important to me is that I know what I feel, even if I don’t know what to do about it.
Examples of getting in my own way include: being overly emotional, being envious of others, having a sense of inferiority and a sense of longing, focusing too much on emotions and not taking enough action.

Type Five: The Quiet Expert
My core motivation is that I have to understand.
I love being the expert. I like knowing as much as I can about a subject before I have to do anything. I hate it when others say I’m factually wrong when I think I’m right. Often times I would prefer not to answer questions than risk being wrong. I am more than willing to argue my point, and I will reconsider my ideas if the facts don’t support what I think. I love being in my own space where no one will make demands on my energy or time. I like my alone time. I like to think about past experiences when no one else is around. It helps me sort myself out. I don’t like to depend too much on others. In groups, I am more than willing to speak up and say what I want. I enjoy living a simple, straightforward life.
Examples of getting in my own way include: it may be hard to share and translate my thoughts to others, and I can come across as disinterested or socially awkward, I may even appear antagonistic to the world, isolating myself, I may be stubborn and argumentative as it is important for me to be right, I may hoard knowledge and may be stingy with sharing the knowledge or sharing my time, energy or space.

Type Six: The Loyal Skeptic
My core motivation is that I have to be safe and belong.
I have a good imagination, and I tend to think up worst-case scenarios. That’s good because I’m always prepared for the worst. Issues with authority also play a big role in my life. I go from going along with those incharge completely to being a rebel depending on what I think about them. When someone tells me a new idea, I can usually see what could go wrong with it. I like to think something through before I trust it. Once I trust a person and believe in an idea, I am a strong ally. People tend to think I’m witty and smart. I have a funny, if unusual, sense of humor.
Examples of getting in my own way include: being overly skeptical and doubtful, only doing things in the safety of my comfort zone, being motivated away from fear versus being motivated to go toward what I want, I may come off as paranoid and pessimistic.
Type Seven: The Enthusiastic Visionary

My core motivation is that I have to experience it all.
I want to have the best. I like it when life moves fast and I have lots of options open. I try to always avoid negative emotion. I run away from bored, feeling trapped, or being sad. If something does get me down, I’ll quickly think of something else. My mind moves 100 miles an hour. I will sometimes get really into something I barely know about. Then when I get bored with it, completely drop it. I guess I have a lot of things I’ve started but don’t quite finish. I am good at making connections between things that are completely different. I am an optimist who believes that life is to be enjoyed. Sometimes, though, I have trouble deciding between two positive choices. Which one will be better? Can I have them both?
Examples of getting in my own way include: Being impulsive, easily distracted, overly indulgent, and gluttonous: needing an excess of options or doing things excessively, I will avoid pain or boring things, but it will catch up with me

Type Eight: The Active Controller

My core motivation is that I have to be in control and to be strong.

I love a good challenge. I love being in control of things that matter to me. I am a blunt and honest person who seeks out truth and justice. I respect those in power who treat others fairly. It angers me when people try to manipulate me or act unfairly to others. I like to be in control. Sometimes people accuse me of being bossy, but I’m only trying to make sure everything is ok. I don’t like others knowing my flaws or weaknesses. And I have little patience for weakness in others, unless they are trying to do something about it. It’s a tough world out there. Someone’s got to be in control.

Examples of getting in my own way include: being intimidating, hiding weaknesses and vulnerability, being guarded, having a strong passion for power that may steamroll over other people.

Type Nine: The Adaptive Peacemaker
My core motivation is that I have to keep the balance.
I like it best when everything is peaceful. I try to avoid conflict and keep everyone happy. In groups, I tend to go along with what others want. Sometimes I find myself agreeing with someone or something when I don’t want to. I sometimes get frustrated with myself, but I don’t like to disappoint people. I don’t like it when others are angry at each other, and I hate it when people are angry at me. Sometimes people tend to take advantage of my kind nature though, but I can stand up for myself when I need to. I can usually see all sides to a situation because each side has its pluses and minuses. Sometimes I have trouble knowing what it is I really want. I just want life to be comfortable and peaceful.
Examples of getting in my own way include: being self-forgetting and neglectful of responsibility, I may repress anger until I just “can’t take it anymore” and blow up, I may struggle to say “no” to others, and may become passive-aggressive when feeling pressured.

Which type do you resonate with the most?

What’s the biggest change that you need to make in yourself in order to get to the next level?

By understanding your core type, pathways of personal and professional development will open up for you.

We went over each type’s “self-saboteur”. In an upcoming post, we will learn how to go from self-saboteur to being your own superhero!

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I’m very excited to be giving all members of my upcoming Power Mastermind Group their own professional Integrative Enneagram assessment and one-on-one debrief before the weekly group coaching begins. The Enneagram is a great launching pad for amazing transformational work to take our lives, careers, and businesses to the next level. Power Mastermind Group starts 6/4/18. Only $295/month. Price goes up to $395/month on 6/1/18. *LIMITED SPOTS* JOIN OUR POWER MASTERMIND TODAY*

This group is for growth-minded rockstars with a proven track record of success who are ready to:

– make more money in their business (keep in mind a business can be product based OR service based e.g. CPA, contractor, chiropractor, dentist, coach, therapist, doctor, wealth manager, etc.)
– become a better leader to step it up in their careers
– improve company culture to increase company revenue
– finally start their own business!!!!
– deepen their self-awareness in order to tackle any big personal or professional project

More information and application here: