What It Means To Be An Enneagram Type 3 Person & How To Live Your Best Life
Enneagram Type 3 at your best is creative, energetic, a great mentor, and leader.
getty What does it mean to be an Enneagram 3?
You're amazing, unique, and there's no one exactly like you! In the first few months of life, you're given one of nine ways to survive in the world.
Your Enneagram personality type is critical for your survival. Your ego helps you see yourself as separate and distinct from the people around you, even your parents.
Your ego gives you a framework to make sense of the world and keep you safe. The trouble begins when you come of age and don’t realize how much your fear of trying something new limits your freedom.
Each personality type is no better or worse than others — they're just different. Your type shows you where you are already stuck.
Working with this fantastic tool helps you to break free of the limitations of your personality, helping you to become stronger in all nine types.
If you're an Enneagram Type 3, it means you're an achiever.
At your best, you're full of energy with a hunger to make a difference in the world. You're creative, playful, and fun-loving.
You can see the big picture — you have the ability and skills to guide an organization into the future. You can see opportunities before others notice them. You can see talents in others and help them to claim them.
You bring your best self forward every day and are big-hearted. You not only want the best for yourself, but you also want it for everyone else, too.
Despite your hunger to succeed, you choose to take care of yourself. You're not afraid to take a day off (like turning off your phone when you go on holiday).
You care deeply about your family and will put the same energy into domestic life as you would for your business.
At work or home, you know how to get the job done! You have a lot of energy because you are a good steward of your time and energy resources.
You have the gift of helping everyone in your family or organization to work well together, care for each other, and play well together. All this bringing out the best in each person, including yourself.
You thrive when pushed to your limits, and because you take good care of yourself, you have all the energy you need.
The stressful aspects of Enneagram Type 3 people.
Being successful becomes the prime motive to live. You may lose connection with your true self as you move into stress, because you get caught up in your need to succeed.
As you get more stressed, you will think you need to morph yourself into something you are not. To do this, you will become a great actor — pretending to be someone you are not will take vast amounts of energy to keep your secret.
The trouble is that when you try to be someone else, you can never be as happy, creative, motivating, and successful as you are when you are grounded in your authentic self.
In the end, people will be able to see through your masquerade. What will give you away is your unwillingness to walk your talk.
People will catch on to your addiction to be the best when they can see all your lies even when you can’t see it yourself.
At their best, Type 3 people also make great mentors.
They have the gift to build trust with others, helping them identify their passions, interest, and skills.
Not only are they able to bring out the strengths in their employees and management, but they also have the gift to bring them all together in the organization to make the best use of each person’s skills, drive, and personalities.
A healthy Type 3 person will bring the organization together like a family — caring not only for the productivity of the organization, but the well-being of each person.
Not only does the Type 3 personality want to create an efficient organization, but they want everyone to succeed and have a good time, too.
Here are 4 ways for an Enneagram Type 3 person to silence their inner critic and live their best life.
1. Take time to relax and care for yourself.
Taking time for self-care is not easy for the Enneagram 3 personality. It will take practice and a lot of self-love. Remember, you're worth it and you deserve to treat yourself well.
Make sure you do something good for yourself each day. Eat good food, get plenty of sleep, read a good book, get active, hang out with your family, or go out with a friend.
You are always going to do a better job when you make your social, mental, physical, and spiritual needs a priority.
2. Stay curious.
As a Type 3, you have high expectations for yourself and have a lot of energy. Don't expect everyone else to have that same drive to succeed as you do.
Make a special effort to show appreciation and acknowledge the contributions of others.
Avoid rushing into making big decisions. Remember the people who will be impacted by your choices.
Pay attention to your inner guidance to help you make the best choices for all aspects of your life.
3. Make time to be with friends and family.
When friends or family members come to you with a concern, listen without giving advice. They most likely want you to listen so they can figure things out themselves. If they need help, they will ask for it.
Take time to appreciate your life partner. Take them on a date. Give them your full attention when you spend time with them. Walk your talk, so they never doubt your love.
Volunteer in your community, reminding yourself not everything is about competition, success, and winning.
4. Pay attention to your feelings
Notice the difference between your real feelings than the show you put on when you are trying to impress others.
Notice your habit of jumping into activities when you start to feel anxious. Instead of getting busy, try meditation, exercise, or other practices to quiet your mind.
You have a big heart. Don't be afraid to reveal your vulnerable side. Being sensitive may be hard, so find a person you trust to begin showing this side of you.
Remember, all 9 Enneagram types are equally good and equally bad. As a Type 3, your job is to get as healthy as you can.
At the beginning of your Enneagram journey, you may only see the negative in your type. Don't lose hope.
As you spend more time discovering who you are, you'll find more about the fantastic Enneagram Type 3 you are.
Roland Legge is a Life Coach who offers coaching through REL Consultants for individuals, couples, families, and executives to help them to be the best they can be. For more information, please arrange for a free 30-minute discovery call by sending an email.