How Being Labeled Helps Your Career

In addition to being crazy for all things MBTI, I’m also a numerologist.

Well, that sounds a little more formal than need be. It might be more appropriate to say I practice numerology, but that sounds kind of creepy.

So, let’s just say I use it, I believe in it, and I’ll talk about numbers any chance I get.

And, when people find out that numerology is one of my things, they want to know all there is to know about their numbers too.

I can usually tell what someone’s numbers are after talking to her for 15 minutes.

Sometimes faster.

I can spot an 8 a mile away. And, if you’re going through a 7 personal year, the frustration will likely be oozing out of your every pore. If you are a 31/4, we’re likely to have a hot and cold relationship and if you have 11s, 22s or 33s prominent in your chart, we’ll feel like kindred spirits.

We love to be labeled. Give people a chance to take a quiz on what “type” they are and they will be all over it.

Well, some people. Depending on their type or their number, of course.

The other day I took a test to find out my “Fascination Advantage”.

I figure being fascinating is a reasonable goal. And since there exists such a test that will tell me how I can appear more fascinating, I jumped on it.

The results of the test give you information about how you add value and how the world sees you. Once you have this information you are, in theory, supposed to use your superpower to improve your personal brand and be more effective at work and in your life.

(I think the Myers-Briggs test is far more valuable and you can take a shortened version of it here for free.)

According to my results on the fascination test, I am a Subtle Touch archetype.

I’m the solo intellect behind the scenes.

This makes sense to me. Kind of. But kind of not at all. I thrive behind the scenes. But I thrive out front too. I’m an I/E NFP.

But, what good does knowing our type do us? Why do we like to be labeled? And more importantly, how can we use the information we get from all of these typing tools to help us make smart career moves?

Why We Like Being Type Cast

First I’m going to talk about the 4 reasons why we like it.

1. We Crave Reasons

We love to know why things happen, why we are the way we are, and why people do what they do. It makes us feel better to know the answer to the question why and typing ourselves addresses that. It gives who we are meaning and when we understand ourselves a little better, we hope the world will too.

2. We Love Excuses

When I was hosting the Mojo Retreats with my friend and business partner, Sandy Grason, we offered personalized numerology reports as part of the experience. I thought it would be a fun addition, and hopefully useful, but that it would be secondary to everything else we were doing.

I was wrong.

During the first retreat I planned on spending about an hour during the 3 day event talking about numerology and responding to questions. One hour turned into several hours and questions came for 3 days.

I was happy to talk about people’s numbers; the problem was that I heard a lot of this, “So that’s why I do that.” Sometimes knowing your numbers helps you give yourself permission to be who you already know you are; however, it can also be a slippery slope and pretty soon permission turns into excuses as to why you are stuck in a certain pattern that isn’t serving you or anyone else.

3. We Prefer Limits

As much as we say we love choices, we kind of don’t. They often paralyze us; and, because we don’t know were to focus our attention, we end up doing nothing.

When we type ourselves and assign a code or a number to who we are, it’s like we’re wrapping ourselves in a pretty present. It’s nice and neat and tangible. When we type ourselves we take something that feels big and uncertain, the world and the people around us, and we make it feel more manageable by understanding exactly where we fit.

4. We Want to “Get” People

As soon as we learn our numbers or our type we are immediately inclined to start figuring out the numbers and types of those in our lives. Whether it is our kids, significant others, co-workers, or even the people we don’t like, we want to understand what makes them tick.

Numerology and SpeedReading People has helped me understand people on an entirely different level.

There are some people we are naturally drawn to and who seem to get us from the moment we meet. There are others however who baffle us and we’ll be happy if we never end up at the same dinner party again.

The great thing about knowing your numbers or type, and knowing that everyone else is walking around with their own unique code, is that you become more tolerant and appreciative of everyone else’s story. This type of awareness helps every relationship you’ll ever have.

Okay, so we know why we like it. Now what do we do with it when it comes to our careers?

How to Use Your Label to Help Your Career

Here are 4 simple steps that will help you use the information to improve your career.

Step #1 – Discover Your Type

Take this test, or this test, or another test, or get a reading.

Then, if you are lucky enough to live near a Johnson O’Conner Research Foundation office, take this test. It’s a two-day program where you’ll take 22 tests that will help you take your type and put it into action. These tests will tell you what you’re actually good at, what comes natural to you, and on what types of activities you should focus your energy. When you combine your personality type with your aptitudes and then apply them to your career, you’ll flow like the Amazon River.

Step #2 – Switch Wisely

Your number or your type is not going to tell you the exact career or job title you should pursue but either one will definitely suggest career families that make sense for you. And chances are if you stray too far from that family, you’re going to be chronically frustrated and unsatisfied. You’ll also typically under earn, which can be devastating to your self-esteem and wallet.

If that sounds like you, it’s probably time to make a switch. But don’t quit your job without a plan. Take some time to figure out your next step and once you have researched and tested your new career idea, create a plan to make it happen. If you want some help getting clarity on your next career, be sure to check out my book, Career Switch: How to Write & Play Your Way to Career Clarity.

Or, if you want to learn more about your Myers-Briggs type and how to apply it at work, I highly recommend you take this class with one of my coaches and mentors, Penelope Trunk. Penelope is obsessed with Myers-Briggs and her classes are always useful and entertaining. Even if you already know your type and have lots of Myers-Briggs training under your belt, this will be worth your time.

Step #3 – Get a Coach

Even with all of the typing and testing we do we still aren’t the best at assessing ourselves. We miss things. We overestimate and underestimate ourselves all of the time. A good coach doesn’t just help you create a plan to move forward in your career but she points out your blind spots, she’s honest about your weaknesses and pushes you to be better, and she’s also able to identify the places where you excel.

Top performers have coaches. You should get one too.

Step #4 – Give Your Best 10%

Most of us are 90 percenters. We’re pretty great 90% of the time. We work hard, we workout, we eat well, we do what we say we are going to do and we look to everyone else like we’ve got our act together.

But that 90% isn’t going to cut it. It’s the final 10% that matters. That’s you at your best. That’s you not wasting a single drop of your greatness.

Everyone’s best 10% is different and the way you figure out yours is to tune into the feeling you get when you know you want to do something, say something or go for broke but you hold back. You start making excuses or telling yourself stories or saying things like, “That’s just not who I am.” You feel it in your gut and when you walk away from an idea or an opportunity you have the distinct feeling you left too much on the table. That’s when you know.

Being able to play up the best 10% is what sets the most interesting and successful people apart from everyone else. With that way of being comes a great deal more pain, uncertainty, and vulnerability but also vastly more personal success and satisfaction.

What would get to happen for you if you used your best 10% in your career?

Knowing your label or your type can help you in your work, in your relationships, and in nearly every area of your life.

So, how are you going to use the information about your label to make better career choices?