I spent a lot of time alone in 2020 and I learnt a lot about me! Understanding my behaviours, skills and values help me improve my bad habits and understand my triggers.
I have also applauded myself for being very self-aware and coachable. Although I don’t like change, I am open to it. I am constantly searching for ways to improve my connections, improve my skillset, or work on myself. I have done quite a few annual wrap-ups over the years, but I’m sure it is fairly boring for me to expect complete strangers to be inspired by my goals, so this year, I decide to share all the personal development resources that excite me, allowed me to have a greater understanding of myself, or even just helped bridge or strengthen my human connections. Okay, maybe I am overselling it a bit, but these are the quizzes that I enjoyed learning about myself or quizzes that I did with my friends to learn more about them.
Myer Briggs
I love this test, not because it is revolutionary but because it really helped me self-actualize. As an INFJ, there were traits that I knew I had but I never really took the time to analyze them. It really helped me pull out my areas for improvement and my strengths. I have talked about Myer Briggs on my blog before, but I still find this very relevant, especially to use as a tool to also understanding the people around you. I know I said this post was about discovering yourself, but I think this has really helped me understand my relationship with others which is just as beneficial.
Attachment Style
This was a new and exciting one for me. The book, Attached, changed my view on how I navigate dating and relationships. I thought I was a good judge of character but given my dating history, I was starting to lose confidence in my gut instincts. Attached really uncovered why I may have stayed too long in a relationship that wasn’t working and how I can really get what I want in future relationships. I highly recommend reading the book and not just doing an attachment style quiz.
Planning For the Future
All in good fun, planning for the future seems impossible given these unprecedented times, however, free internet Tarot Card readings have been a source of comfort for me. I think it is more about the law of attraction than anything, but I do love to plan so this has been my security blanket. When I feel anxious I just hope that my spirit guides have some advice for me. They usually do. Everything turns out the way it should, the universe has a way of taking care of things.
My Strengths
I read the book Find Your Why and one of the exercises is asking your friends what they like about you. I literally cringe when I say it out loud, luckily my friends are very patient with me and totally indulged in this exercise. The things my friend said really surprised me. They said that I am always up for anything, that I am very supportive and positive whenever they need to talk and that I give great advice. One of my friends liked it so much, she asked if we could end each hang out by telling each other one thing we appreciate about one another. I think everyone has a skewed perception of self, so it is nice to have the people closest to you really pull out what makes you, you!
Rising Signs
If you know me personally, you know that I end each day with a glance at my co-stars’ app, I have slowly started a collection of astrology books, and I religiously check Mayfair every Monday to repost my weekly horoscope. I am also a fake astrologist, I have zoned in on Geminis and ignored all other signs (classic Gemini behavior). And just as I was beginning to get bored, I discovered my rising sign! I have never felt fully Gemini, I am not unreliable or impulsive, and I am loyal almost to a fault, so discovering that I may have Aquarius traits really spoke to me. Struggling with human emotions, yup that is pretty much me. You are the way you are because of your star sign obviously, it has nothing to do with your upbringing or your environment…
Dark Triad
From the airy-fairy to the dark and mysterious. I went on a date with a guy that told me that all of his exes said he is a narcissist so he took this dark triad personality test. I obviously was immediately intrigued, rather than fully identifying this as a red flag but I did find it interesting. If you think you are on the cusp, why not give it a go. I didn’t score high on the narcissist scale, what a relief. This may be a better quiz to use on prospective suitors or close friends, just to be sure.
Chronotypes
Like most people, I love to sleep, however, my sleep quality used to be amazing, and during COVID times, I started to suffer. Discovering my chronotype helped me to understand when is the best time to have coffee, when is the best time for me to workout, and how many hours of sleep I need a night so I can function normally. A worthwhile test if you feel like you are not getting restful sleeps.
My Aura
Back to the fun and games. I don’t fully believe that discovering my aura has really transformed me as a person, but now that I can identify my friend’s auras it does help me understand them. I listened to an episode of A Girls Gotta Eat podcast with Mystic Michaela and all I want in life is an aura reading. I am purple with some hints of blue if you want to get to know me better. She does a good job of listing the traits on her Instagram highlights but I think the best way to identify your colour is to get your friends to close their eyes and think of a colour for you.
My Animal
My favourite first date question, yes I let guys know straight out of the gate that I may be a low key hippy; I just think it is better to get it out of the way, if they can’t deal, they are probably not a fit for me. The first time I did this test I thought it was fun. You pick three favourite animals and say why you like them. Don’t peak at the next step, think of the animals first.
- The first animal describes who you truly are
- The second animal is how people see you
- The third animal is how you see yourself
Again not revolutionary but any means but interesting. I am a tiger, although I still feel my spirit animal is probably a golden retriever.
Enneagram Personality Test
I was turned on to Enneagram after doing the 16personalites test. I scored highest on Type 6 with a mix of Type 2 and 3 running closely behind. I did like that you can be a mix, however I didn’t find that it was a direct fit for me. I find Enneagram to be a bit extreme. I did still find it interesting in contrast to Myer Briggs.
I know 2020 has gotten a lot of flack for being the worst year, and don’t get me wrong, I miss group fitness, travel, and hanging out with more than two friends. However, it has really given me time to breathe, to utilize my new found idle time, and spend probably a little too much time on the internet. I know it seems silly to do tests to discover yourself, you should already know yourself, but sometimes it helps to pull fundamental character traits out so that you can better understand what you value and what will make you happy. It seems easy but for me, I do really struggle with my feelings and identifying them so knowing my triggers and how to adjust my reactions to situations has really helped me. The things that I can control, I now feel in control of.
Let me know if you prefer this form of self-discovery sharing rather than me cranking out a list of all my goals. I am going to do a vision board this week, so I will share some of my hope and dreams for this year on my Instagram Stories.
Lets keep our fingers crossed for a good 2021!
