Enneagram Series: Type Three

The enneagram is a system that shows us the nine ways that the people in the world default to in life. It explains the “why” of all that we do, think, and feel. There are nine types based on our core motivations and fear so that we can grow as an individual in order to thrive in our life.The enneagram answers the questions:  WHO are you? WHY are you? and HOW and WHAT do you want to change?  Each week we will examine one of the types so if you missed any of the weeks, you can get caught up by clicking the link in my bio to read the whole blog series.

The Pros and Cons of Being Enneagram Type 3

Threes are the overachievers of the world. They thrive off the success and are big dreamers. Three’s greatest pursuit in life is to be seen as successful and valuable. They tend to be confident, ambitious, and driven people. However, the three’s need to be successful can lead to issues in their personal life, such as becoming a workaholic, never slowing down to enjoy the life they have worked so hard to build, and being overly competitive. Finding a healthy balance between striving for success and enjoying the present will allow threes to truly thrive.

The Pros

Energetic 

Threes tend to be high-energy people, especially when they are pursuing their goals and passions. This energy can be hugely valuable to the three in their pursuit of success.

Motivated

Threes are highly motivated people who chase their dreams with vigor. If they set a goal, they are going to put the work in to achieve it. This motivation helps threes get far in achieving the goals they have in life and helps them pursue the success they strive for.

High Achievers

Threes put in the work to ensure that their pursuits are achieved to the highest quality while still maintaining efficiency. This tendency to be a high achiever greatly contributes to the success of threes and allows them to achieve their dreams of success. 

Encouraging to be Around

The motivation and drive to achieve success and be valuable to the world that is found in type threes acts as a huge encouragement to the people around them. At their best, threes can make great role models for people searching for inspiration to achieve their dreams. 

Efficient

Threes prefer to work quickly while still achieving their highest quality work possible. Because of this desire, threes are great at creating efficient methods for completing the highest quality of work in the shortest amount of time possible. This efficiency greatly contributes to the success of the three’s business ventures. 

The Cons

Workaholics

Threes can have a tendency to become workaholics and overachievers. Because of their desire to achieve great things, they struggle to slow down and appreciate the accomplishments they have already achieved as they continue to race toward more and more success. This tendency can negatively impact a three’s ability to enjoy life, their relationships, and their overall level of happiness.

Worry Too Much About Their Reputation

Threes dream of being seen as successful and valuable. This dream can lead to them ignoring their own desires and pursuing the dreams of other people. For instance, if their parent has a dream that they will be a doctor, a three may ignore their own dream to be, let’s say, an artist in order to gain their parent’s approval. This can lead to a three to have all of these accomplishments that bring them no sense of happiness or fulfillment.

Out of Touch with Their Own Feelings

Threes tend to race through life, struggling to pause and consider the emotions they are experiencing as they set goals and accomplish them. Threes struggle to take a moment and bask in their accomplishments. They avoid pausing to experience the emotions they may feel after facing rejection. Overall, threes struggle to process their emotions, which can lead to serious mental health issues the longer they ignore them.

Can be Insensitive

A three’s drive and motivation can sometimes lead to a tendency of being overly competitive and insensitive to the feelings of the people around them. Because of this, threes may face issues with their relationships that can negatively impact their happiness. 

Tips for Growth as a Type Three

Stop Placing Your Value in Your Level of Success

You are valuable and worthy whether you are successful or not. Work to build your confidence in your worth outside of your work and achievements. This will be extremely helpful in allowing you to have the confidence to pursue the things you truly want to rather than pursuing other people’s visions of success.

Take a Breather

Take a moment to slow down. Threes have a tendency to set goals, accomplish them, then race to try to accomplish the next one. This tendency will cause you to miss out on basking in some great accomplishments in your life. While you pursue your dreams and goals, make sure to take the time to enjoy your journey and sit with your emotions, whether you are happy with a new success or feeling a bit down after a recent failure. Take a breather and allow yourself to slow down.

List Your Achievements

Listing your achievements will help you realize just how far you have come. As you race to accomplish your dreams, it can be easy to forget that you have already accomplished so much in your life. Take some time to celebrate you and everything you have already achieved. 

Work on Being Present

Threes struggle with living in the present moment as they are always trying to accomplish their newest goals. This can lead you to forget to truly live your life. So take a moment to be present in your current journey. You won’t regret it.

Work on Being Who YOU Want to Be

Everybody has their own vision of success. As a three, you might find yourself dreaming of being seen as successful to the people around you. However, other people’s vision of success might not be the same as your own. Consider whether the goals you are pursuing are for you or for your image. Understand that pursuing an image rather than your own dreams can negatively impact your own happiness and sense of accomplishment. Be who YOU dream of being, not the people around you. This will help you live your most fulfilled and happy life.Threes have a tendency to live their lives feeling driven to seek success. This tendency can be great for accomplishing goals and living out your dreams. In order to be your happiest, healthiest self, make sure to take the time to slow down and bask in the present moment. Be with your loved ones without worrying about work every once in a while. Celebrate your accomplishments- no matter how small they may seem to you. Take some time to stop and smell the roses. Believe me, you won’t regret it.Want to learn more?  Working with me as a coach or as a therapist starts with finding out your Enneagram type and more information than you could ever want!   You can learn more about coaching services on my sister site:  Russiano Consulting Services.  

Whether as a coach, or a therapist, my goal is to partner with you to determine the best version of you.  Schedule a Complimentary Consultation Call today – on either site – we can figure out your journey path to get to where you want to be.    

I provide online therapy in Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.  In addition, I am able to offer coaching services in all states, as well as internationally. I specialize in treating imposter syndrome, burnout, and anxiety using The Daring Way™ and offer online workshops to clients who want to overcome shame. Contact me today – for either avenue (virtual coaching or online therapy) and let’s be rockstars together!If you want to know more about me you can read about me as a therapist. Or, if you’re curious about my therapy practice then check out my FAQs, or read my mental health blog.   To learn more about coaching services check out more info at Russiano Consulting Services.Until then, take care of you and know that we are in this together –