Through every job I have had since I started working at Burger King in high school, I have suffered a similar phenomenon. I get bored easily. Usually fast. Getting bored quickly can be a function of a lot of things but I had a difficult time determining what was causing this in my daily life. In fact a several years journey as I will explain.
College was exciting enough and a short dynamic career as a merchant mariner kept me occupied physically and mentally. Maybe distracting me from the reality of my personality traits. However, as moved into the white collar stage of my working life I attributed my quick boredom as a lack of passion.
Why was this?
Recently I was scanning the popular blog by Penelope Trunk where I came across her post about Meyers Briggs, something she puts a lot of stock in. The test was something I never took too seriously, but I enjoyed taking the test like some people enjoy reading a horoscope. Who doesn’t love to read about themselves? I am going to make money this month? Jackpot.
I decided to take a test offered free on her site for the cost of an email address, and for the first time I recall, I tested as an ENFP (Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Perceive). The Kiersey Temperment Sorter deems the Idealist Temperament which includes the INFJs, INFPs, and ENFJs.
I didn’t believe my results at it at first as I had tested differently in the past, so when it struck me a month later I took another test from a different source. Same result. Being a stubborn dude I took the test again another month later, low and behold ENFP again. So I decided to research the personality type in earnest and for the first time, the result stuck to me an resonated on a personal level. I felt I had found an explanation for my feelings. Since this day I have learned how to use the strengths of my personality type for peace of mind and success in my projects and relationships.
See this note from Penelope’s Site Quistic.
“The basic attitude of ENFPs is one of credulity, enthusiasm, and idealism. They tend to see good and potential in everyone and everything. They are not troubled by the paradoxical, and they relentlessly pursue their high ideals.”
Idealism. Bolded for my emphasis. A word I had always attributed to a set of political beliefs. Or the mindset of the kids wearing save the whales t-shirts in high school.
As a personality type, it started to make sense for me.
According to PersonalityPage.Com:
“ENFPs are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it.”
I am giving myself a pat on the back here. I am smart and have potential!
Further :
“they (ENFPs) may become bored with what actually is”
This to me equals realism, something I thought I was.
As a young man I thought that I was realist or rational. I took pride in it. Maybe I was once, but as I grew in my professional career I started to reject the confines of the traditional corporate way of doing business. I sought new and creative ideas as well as attempted to identify new ways to inject a new perspective. In some cases it appears contrarian, but in reality its a way to feed my creative needs.
Lastly from Penelope Trunk :
“ENFPs provide such a fresh, creative spark to organizations, with their can-do attitude and their ability to see good in everything and everyone”.
I think this is a good thing, but my personality type is challenged daily. There are a set of strategies that will enable you to survive in a corporate setting. Are you an idealist? How do you cope? Do you push through? Or did you run and start your own company Regardless you must embrace it, you are a rarity at 2% of the population according to Wikipedia. You join the ranks the supposed ranks of several celebrities and historical figures such as Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Che Guevara, Ariana Huffngton, and Katie Couric.
The takeaway is to own that your creativity, commitment to your ideals, and your ability to visualize a way things should be make you an asset to those around you. Embrace and take advantage of the energizers in your working and personal life such as variety, autonomy, environments that enable you to be a valuable contributor, and strive to find the work that will allow you to develop innovative solutions.
If you can find an environment that will bring these things out of you then you half the battle is won and you will find fulfillment as an idealist. If you find yourself in a dark hole that suppresses your dreams and contributions then run, or tune in for the ninja ways to enable your own Idealist traits in a more rigid environment.
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