How MBTI Helps Me Pursue My Goals (And How You Can, Too)
Who knew 4 letters could provide the insight we need to form our future?
Ever since I was introduced to personality types during a University class back in 2014, I’ve been highly fascinated by the, sometimes alarmingly, descriptive personality traits and types of the MBTI model. To be more concise, I’m talking about the 16 personality types of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®).
In 2014, I had just left my hometown to live and study in Oslo. I didn’t know anyone there, and I surely didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life — other than being super successful, of course. So yes, you can say I was not very different than most 20-year-olds who’d just left their parents nest. To be honest, I’d say I was right in the middle of really getting to know myself — and not knowing myself at all.
During our first semester in college, we were asked by our professor in entrepreneurship to do a personality test. Our professor said it could be a great tool for us to get familiar with the general aspects of our personality. At first, I believed she referred to those of us who wanted to start our own businesses at some point — or how we could simply learn more about our professional strengths and weaknesses. Now, I know that Myers Briggs can play a role in most arenas of life.
After taking the test back in 2014, not only was I deeply struck by the detailed report which first met my eye — the precision was also dead on. I was an ENFJ then, and I have been ever since. If you’re unfamiliar with the letter combination, here’s a short explanation:
- E = Extrovert (alternative: Introvert, I)
- N = iNtuitive (alternative: Sensing, S)
- F = Feeling (alternative: Thinking, T)
- J = Judging (alternative: Perceiving, P)
If you don’t know your combination, click here to take the test.
After getting my test result, I quickly dived into the theory in order to better understand the opposing letters. I remember sending the test to some of my closest friends and family members to check if I could guess their type in advance. For the most part, I got it right. Not only was I intrigued, I was captivated by this new way of simplifying humans.
There was only one thing. You can’t simplify humans.
Understanding MBTI as a tool, not an acknowledged fact
I’m not a psychologist, nor am I an expert in MBTI (or personality tests in general). However, as a marketer I’ve learned that people love to ease their options. Myself included. Even when we don’t simplify on purpose — our minds do it for us. Therefore, considering my lifelong interest in people, it was a satisfying moment for me to suddenly being able to more or less categorize them. I was drawn to the curious, loving and future-oriented ENFJ type who always seemed to know the answers.
I mean, who didn’t want to be the same type as Obama, or Oprah Winfrey?
Luckily, I was quick to understand that the 16 types can’t be seen as fact or backed information. One type is simply just a general description of all 4 traits combined if given 100% test score on all indicators. It’s therefore important to acknowledge that even though you get your 4 letters presented to you on the results page, there are still countless varieties of each type. Not to mention, adding aspects like interests or environment (which obviously also plays a large role in who you are) it’s clearly impossible to state that there are only 16 personalities.
However, using your results as a guideline to comprehend your own personality traits can be a valuable asset for understanding the choices you make, what motivates you, and — not to mention — your relationship with other people. If used correctly, the MBTI model can provide us with rewarding awareness and an in-depth understanding of ourselves and the people around us.
Diving into the theory & how to use it
Gaah. Not the most compelling headline, is it? Don’t worry. I’m not gonna describe the details of the theory. Chances are you don’t even know your letter combination yet, and I would highly recommend you to start with your own type if you’d feel an urge to read more about the different personality types (after finishing this article, of course).
On the other hand, I feel the need to emphasize the importance of diving into the opposing letters and what they mean in order to fully understand the theory and how it can be used to pursue your goals and fulfill your potential. Once you’re familiar with the letters, you’ll quickly start recognizing traits and habits from your everyday life and soon realize the connection it might have with the theory.
You’ll recognize things like;
- Your favorite conversation topics, and how you ‘can go on forever’ with certain people.
- Why you prefer certain books, TV shows or movies and how some characters fascinates you more than others.
- What kind of traits you value in the people around you (and the traits you don’t value as much, but now understands more clearly).
- How you relate to your goals and aspirations.
- Your presence (if you don’t understand this point, you’re probably an S-type).
Ok, we’re on the highway of personal development right now — so let’s take a step back and ask ourselves how these things can be used in practice.
To be honest, it’s quite simple. As you learn to understand yourself and the people around you, it also gets easier to navigate every aspect of life in general. Be it personal or professional — near or distant future. Grasping the foundation of personality types makes it easier to work on the things you’d like to improve on. It can make it obvious which goals you should pursue, which job to take, what arguments to choose, or how to create a better connection with the people you’re close to.
For me, understanding the ENFJ type and drawing upon others’ insights and experience have been tremendously empowering. It’s a continuous path of learning and growing as an individual, and I hope you’ll find the theory rewarding too.
If you do, please share your test result and thoughts below :-)
