Are you an ENTP and wonder why you can't get things done when working for yourself?

[WarWizard]

INTPs and ENTPs are fairly similar in their temperaments. They only really differ in that one is much more calculated (INTP) than the other (ENTP) in their interaction/planning thanks to that god damn Introverted Sensing function that ENTPs pretty much lack almost entirely...

Good point.

I get INTP as a result in all MBTI based tests, but, when I did the cognitive functions test, it came out as ENTP, which is interesting.

The thing with the 'calculated' bit can at times manifest as 'paralysis by analysis'. Every type has its positives and negatives. What we need to do is maximise our strengths and operate from there, and mitigate our weaknesses.

 

[WarWizard]

Haha thanks! Appreciate that on many levels, Simon. ENFP it is for now (see how I’m keeping my options open).
—-
Wow! Yay! I finished this thread (if anyone can ever truly say it’s complete… i have a dozen things to download, watch, hold on Libby, etc). But yes I am congratulating myself ;-)

Thanks again Remi and Simon and so many others who have contributed. In the past, I have studied this topic in-depth, taken many tests, even built my own, but never before this had it clicked so much. I even had many misconceptions corrected - for example, it’s not a spectrum. The test that says your 51% extroverted doesn’t mean your almost introverted… it means the test is at 51%. And ya gotta take that test result and dig deeper to discover the truth.

In addition to John’s test, I found the greatest benefit in going through the cognitive functions at the Tumblr blog. Yes it’s long and in-great-depth (and that stopped me in my tracks when I tried to visit in the past) but it is great. For anyone still struggling to know thyself, I highly recommend. It really helped me get over many doubts and uncertainties and narrow it down, step by step.

Next question: For the past 10 years, I have seen myself as an Explorer-Inventor. And the day I came to that realization was a good day - felt so clear finally.

But…

Who NEEDS an explorer?

That may sound existential but what I really mean refers to MJ’s CENTS framework and creating a business that serves needs/solves a real problem for a group of people. I am really trying to commit to a Need that I can then persist in to have ultimate financial success.

I can see that many would pay for a great invention, and maybe at the end of the day, that is where we explorers must get (damn I think I am answering my own question)… we have to get that thing made. We can’t just travel and explore… we must bring back (or make) the treasure!

Can I really ignore all the Grit advice and just temporarily focus on one of “Jim’s whims” for a while and actually get to a place where I am serving many (and putting food on the table for the family)?

Really good points you've raised here.

Due to the fact that 'explorers' are a minority, there is a tendency to minimise the inclination.

From my research, thinking and observation, explorers (who tends to be higher in the visionary scale) need to partner (or get help from contractors) with an 'integrator' to bring their visions to life.

 

[Cojo]

It basically goes like a mindmap, you write down the 4-5 main tasks/things you need to get done, draw a circle around them and then surround them by the tasks that need to get done in order to archieve the main task (layer it from layer 1 to 4/5/6 according to difficulty, the easiest tasks go on the outest layer and then build up the mindmap based on difficulty of the task and start attacking the easiest tasks first in order to get into a positive feedback loop).

Thanks for the tips but could you send an image of this because its kinda hard to picture it.

 

[Cojo]

the plans or papersheets on my wall look pretty similar to the attachment

Okay, thanks.

 

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[Cleaningup]

ISTP here. Can relate. But for me the key is wanting to master a craft until I am the best.

 

[Simon Angel]

ISTP here. Can relate. But for me the key is wanting to master a craft until I am the best.

It's normal that you relate. ISTP and ENTP - although quite different cognitively - are actually surprisingly similar types on the surface

 

[srodrigo]

I don't think it gets more lightweight than the GSD system which you linked to. It also contains all of the functionality you're looking for:

1. You can set big-picture long-term goals (see the very left side of the Trello board)
2. Keep track of progress by color coding tasks (add labels eg. red = urgent, orange = weak progress, yellow = almost done, green = done)
3. Use ''Inbox'' or Someday/Maybe tab for the million ideas you have
4. Every day set 3 tasks that include the actual work you need to do- keep them as vague or as specific you need (depending on the exploration required)
5. You can insert as many tasks from different projects in the "in progress" tab

The bottom line is - it's not about the system you use - but how you use it.

Thanks! I agree that the system is not important. I was more looking to see what other people use.

I do pretty much what you listed.
I merge the 3 tasks/today tab with the in progress one, to simplify a bit.
I use labels for various stuff, including prioritisation.
I keep two separate columns for Inbox and Someday. The idea is to use Inbox for the list of (smaller) tasks that need to be done for projects in flight, while keeping Someday for stuff I haven't started but I want to track.
I set limits for some columns. Helps managing mental overload.

Where I think it doesn't quite work for me is that there are some projects that are quite big, so they benefit from a separate Trello/Spreadsheet. Say "take X business to $YYYYY", that's a pretty complex project that might need a board where you have also a list of tasks that need completing. Then I find myself duplicating tasks on GSD and the project-specific board/sheet, which is an overhead I like to avoid.

I might try MJ's Sumo app as well, and see what works best.

 

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[srodrigo]

I've tried many things.
GTD, todoist app, google tasks, miro boards, etc.

The most success I've had is with a simple:

1. Physical notebook (daily todos) - todos
2. google calendar - calendar
3. google keep - ideas (note taking app, syncs between all my devices, I write ideas on my phone on the go)

Keeps everything simple and flexible.

Although I love them to pieces, one of the things I'm trying to avoid is physical notebooks, mainly because I move around quite a bit and I like to travel light. I've considered this approach many times before, but I had to discard it. Sometimes I feel that I tend to ignore digital boards/todo lists, compared to having a physical notebook I can trip over on, so I can understand why it works for some people.

I was also thinking about getting a tablet with a pencil and write there by hand, but it's kind of the same issue as the notebook, yet another piece of stuff. I like using laptop + phone (I need to carry both around anyway), and limiting my gadgets to just that. I might reconsider the tablet idea though if I can use it for other things.

I use Google Keep too, it's very useful for the reasons you mention. I tried to use it as my main todo list, but it felt short as you can imagine.

I found I can't sustain a complicated system overtime.
At least for me, I need my system to be bullet proof and adapt to any situation without fail.

Rather have too simple but that holds steady than perfect but breaks with the wind.

Agree about keeping things simple. Overhead kills everything quickly. At the same time, chaos doesn't quite work for me either, so I'm trying to find a middle-ground.

I think Trello (with the calendar add-on) can serve the 3 points you describe. I'll see if I can make it work for me.

Hope it helps!

Thank you for your insights, it definitely helps.

 

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[eramart]

Although I love them to pieces, one of the things I'm trying to avoid is physical notebooks, mainly because I move around quite a bit and I like to travel light. I've considered this approach many times before, but I had to discard it. Sometimes I feel that I tend to ignore digital boards/todo lists, compared to having a physical notebook I can trip over on, so I can understand why it works for some people.

I was also thinking about getting a tablet with a pencil and write there by hand, but it's kind of the same issue as the notebook, yet another piece of stuff. I like using laptop + phone (I need to carry both around anyway), and limiting my gadgets to just that. I might reconsider the tablet idea though if I can use it for other things.

I use Google Keep too, it's very useful for the reasons you mention. I tried to use it as my main todo list, but it felt short as you can imagine.


Agree about keeping things simple. Overhead kills everything quickly. At the same time, chaos doesn't quite work for me either, so I'm trying to find a middle-ground.

I think Trello (with the calendar add-on) can serve the 3 points you describe. I'll see if I can make it work for me.


Thank you for your insights, it definitely helps.

On a lighter note, there is this absolutely beautiful thing: The Hero's Journal - Stationery with a Story

Same basic idea of narrowing down specific goals with very creative execution.

 

[GoldenGlow]

Personality changes with your beliefs. If you believe yourself to be someone who is disorganized and lazy, then it will show in your actions. I don't believe you're born as a certain type, although you might have a slight genetic inclination to act a certain way. I'm an ENTJ-A, but I would find myself relating more to the ESTP type description if I went down the personality theory rabbit hole. I choose not to let that happen. I choose to believe that I'm disciplined, organized and take the right actions, instead of maintaining a self-image based on outdated beliefs. Choose the right beliefs and your actions will follow. In 10 years time when your beliefs about yourself and the way you view the world has changed, you may find yourself relating more to the INTJ description. Personality is only static when your life is static. Additionally, you may get different test scores depending on your moods. Moods don't make shit happen, taking action does.

 

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[Simon Angel]

Well, it's safe to say my results are inconclusive.

I remember going down the personality-type rabbit hole a good few years back. Like most people here, I did the Briggs test (I think I ended up being an INFJ or whatever the rare one was... not sure).

The problem is I find myself over-scrutinising the questions and re-doing tests all the time, which is probably why my results resemble something like a kid's trick-or-treat candy bag. I don't know about anyone else, but I have this weird thing where I love the idea of structure/routine - and feel better for using them - but somehow struggle to remain consistent with the damn thing.

Anyhoo, tangents aside, I'm glad this thread was revived - it's been a fascinating read.

I can definitely relate to much of what has already been posted like getting bored quickly with an idea, etc. I also dig the suggestion of learning a skill that takes years to master (shout out to whoever shared that).

Thanks to @Simon Angel and everyone who chimed in. It's been a thought-provoking discussion.

Yeah, you're all over the place. I've been there, too.

Try this one: Personality Type Finder - Michael Caloz Coaching

It's not perfect either but there are practical examples for each question, so that might be easier for you to navigate through. It also tests your cognitive functions.

 

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[piano]

Well, it's safe to say my results are inconclusive.

I remember going down the personality-type rabbit hole a good few years back. Like most people here, I did the Briggs test (I think I ended up being an INFJ or whatever the rare one was... not sure).

The problem is I find myself over-scrutinising the questions and re-doing tests all the time, which is probably why my results resemble something like a kid's trick-or-treat candy bag. I don't know about anyone else, but I have this weird thing where I love the idea of structure/routine - and feel better for using them - but somehow struggle to remain consistent with the damn thing.

Anyhoo, tangents aside, I'm glad this thread was revived - it's been a fascinating read.

I can definitely relate to much of what has already been posted like getting bored quickly with an idea, etc. I also dig the suggestion of learning a skill that takes years to master (shout out to whoever shared that).

Thanks to @Simon Angel and everyone who chimed in. It's been a thought-provoking discussion.

I feel you a lot.

The thing that bugs me a lot in this thread is the fact that ENTJ=Productive alpha and ENTP=unfocused bum, which I think is very wrong.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an ENTP and they indeed likely have a harder time than ENTJs, however ENTJs definitely aren't always as portrayed here. I know that since I am one and I figured my type out after months of reflection and research, not some superficial test that only takes like 3 things in account.

And that's the thing with you in your case. You could be the most productive person in your city and you could still be an INxP (l'm mostly joking, I love INFPs). You have to read up on functions, grips, shadow types etc. and simply see where you see yourself the most in.
Now, tests can be a starting point and they certainly were for me, but don't use them as the only tool.

And I honestly think that ENTJ could be the case with you too. Maybe look up the "ENTJ Fi grip". If you fit that criteria, you could likely be one (or an ESTJ).

And also, keep in mind that Mbti, enneagram and blablabla aren't that important imo, although maybe I'm just saying that since I already know bunch about it and myself.

 

[srodrigo]

Do you guys recommend any websites/YT channels/resources to study?

I found Gifts Differing very good. By the person who invented MBTI.

 

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[Simon Angel]

The most accurate assessor of character is life.
Character is built through discipline and sacrifice, not by taking online tests.
Building that character and mental image of yourself overcoming obstacles will change your results on these tests.

If telling yourself that helps you sleep better at night, keep doing it.

 

[Simon Angel]

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed this test.

The examples definitely helped me with answering the questions and I liked that it explained the inner workings of this way of typing. Don't get me wrong, I still haven't fully grasped the context, but I'll get there. My results came in as:

ISFP - Fi Se Ni Te - (72 points)
INFP - Fi Ne Si Te - (66 points)
ENFP - Ne Fi Te Si - (57 points)
INTJ - Ni Te Fi Se - (55 points)
ESFP - Se Fi Te Ni - (55 points)

ENTP came in at #7 (46 points), only to be outranked by INTP at 50 points. I'm going to go through the top few results to decipher which one I align more closely with and see where it takes me. Great share, cheers!


UPDATE: After some more digging, I'm starting to feel like I align more with ENFP/INFP, though, I can also relate to INTP a fair bit.



Yeah, man, this rabbit hole has certainly taken me down some dead ends, but I feel like I'm making progress. I'll definitely read up more on the functions, grips, and shadow types. Honestly, this is like learning another language.

Do you guys recommend any websites/YT channels/resources to study?

Just see where it takes you. I haven't ever studied the MBTI intentionally. I just randomly look up things that interest me like finding my own type or trying to guess the types of the people around me (or reading up on why they act a certain way), the types of movie characters, and the types of famous/historic people.

Judging by your tests, it looks like you're a Te-Fi or Fi-Te user. But since you also got INTP as a possibility, I'd be careful not to confuse Ti with FI (research the differences!)

 

[DWX]

Just see where it takes you. I haven't ever studied the MBTI intentionally. I just randomly look up things that interest me like finding my own type or trying to guess the types of the people around me (or reading up on why they act a certain way), the types of movie characters, and the types of famous/historic people.

Wow. To have amassed as much knowledge as you have from such sporadic curiosity is impressive.

I've just come up for air after what has been an intense couple of days diving into this. I now know why I was so intrigued by this subject a few years back, although I wasn't privy to Jungian cognitive functions back then. Definitely making time to study this more.

The more I've researched, the more I align with INFP. It seems to "fit" better.

 

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[RebornPhoenix]

@Simon Angel, I am impressed by this thread and your excellent responses to people. I was wondering if you could answer a question or two that have been juggling in my mind for a bit:

1. Researching personality feels good; however, in your experience, what % of personality do you believe is real (nature), and what part is developed by ourselves through experience (nurture)? I ask this question because, on the one hand, if a person determines to be an ENTP, they lead a happier life. But they may also limit their decisions due to their assumed personality.
2. Most of us - even those with good self-awareness - struggle with accurately gauging ourselves. I remember reading that we are hard-wired to overestimate ourselves. You have shared a few links to find our personality, but most links are based on answering various subjective questions. From my experience, the answers to these questions will vary depending on my mental state. As such, to what extent do you think that our estimations of our personalities are accurate?

In hindsight, the above are kinda questions, but thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

[starttoday123]

It'll always be hard, but not because "N" types are geniuses and "S" types are retards (like people love to joke about.)

Simply put, S types are essentially destined to make the most of reality while N types are destined to venture out into the theoretical/abstract.

The former (S types) find philosophy, abstract concepts, and deep introspection to be boring/useless/intimidating but they also tend to become very in tune with their bodies and surroundings/develop a deep understanding of the "here and now" and the concrete.

Because they neglected the physical to focus on the abstract, the latter (N types) perceive them (the Sensing types) as unintelligent while also being envious of their advanced motor skills and ability to handle everyday things and real life in general.

I feel better knowing it’s not just me, thanks so much!

 

[Simon Angel]

Wow. To have amassed as much knowledge as you have from such sporadic curiosity is impressive.

It's worth keeping in mind that it's been 6 years in the making. And my "sporadic" curiosity is an everyday occurrence, lol.

I've just come up for air after what has been an intense couple of days diving into this. I now know why I was so intrigued by this subject a few years back, although I wasn't privy to Jungian cognitive functions back then. Definitely making time to study this more.

Sounds like you're heavy on the Ne (as INFPs are).

The more I've researched, the more I align with INFP. It seems to "fit" better.

Good!

 

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[Simon Angel]

@Simon Angel, I am impressed by this thread and your excellent responses to people. I was wondering if you could answer a question or two that have been juggling in my mind for a bit:

1. Researching personality feels good; however, in your experience, what % of personality do you believe is real (nature), and what part is developed by ourselves through experience (nurture)?

Your thought processes & the prism through which you view reality (i.e. your dominant and auxiliary cognitive functions) tend to develop at an early age. In the ENTP's case, that's dominant Extroverted Intuition (Ne) and auxiliary Introverted thinking (Ti).

This means that the ENTP has always and WILL always be interested in exploring ideas, possibilities, various interconnecting patterns, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible (the latter can be done in many forms) while trusting their own rational conclusions above anyone else's.

Now, it might LOOK like a lot of people in this thread who are ENTP asked me for advice and trusted my own thinking over theirs, but that's not really the case...

ENTPs can and will trust someone else's thinking if and only if they consider them as equals.

In other words, an ENTP will NOT trust someone because they're a Professor, an Expert, a Doctor, or whatever authority in X space i.e. people that society/the system deemed worthy (but not the ENTP themselves). In fact, ENTPs are much more skeptical and critical of the aforementioned groups of people.

But to answer your question, your genetics, environment, traumas, and experiences very early on in life determine your personality type.

After that, your environment, traumas, deep-seated fears, and experiences in your early adulthood determine your enneagram type.. and your enneagram type determines your behavior, wants, desires, and fears.

For example, as an enneagram 8w7, I fear being controlled/manipulated, having my freedom taken away, lacking independence, and being vulnerable (physically or mentally ill, frightened, etc). As such, I've shaped my life in a way that allows me to not have to confront my fears most days. The "7" wing makes me prone to hedonistic pleasure-seeking, recklessness, and adrenaline, but it's more subtle than the 8.

Funnily enough, I've talked to other 8s and we've all agreed that planes make us anxious because we'd rather be the ones flying the damn thing instead of trusting someone else with our lives (even if that someone is an ex-military pilot with tens of thousands of hours of flight time).

1. I ask this question because, on the one hand, if a person determines to be an ENTP, they lead a happier life. But they may also limit their decisions due to their assumed personality.

Finding out your type won't necessarily make you happier, but it's certainly a step in the right direction toward that goal.

Regarding people limiting themselves to their assumed personality, yes, that's bad, so don't be too quick to type
yourself.

And remember that being a certain type does not stop you from doing anything that other types can, it'll just come more easily or harder for you than it does for them.

1. Most of us - even those with good self-awareness - struggle with accurately gauging ourselves. I remember reading that we are hard-wired to overestimate ourselves. You have shared a few links to find our personality, but most links are based on answering various subjective questions. From my experience, the answers to these questions will vary depending on my mental state. As such, to what extent do you think that our estimations of our personalities are accurate?

When I refer people to these tests I pay close attention to the way they communicate and the way they navigate through their results. I also have a look at their post history and/or ask personal questions.

So you might temporarily be using cognitive functions that you're not good at using (not sustainably, at least) and I'll usually see right through it after referring to your past. Actions speak louder than words, after all, but at the same time every type has "function speak" and dead giveaways that help when typing, even if the person is acting (whether intentionally or not) as another type.

Entrepreneurial/assertive ENTPs often mistype themselves as ENTJ.

Depressed/turbulent ENTPs mistype themselves as INFP.

Depressed/assertive ENTPs type themselves as INTJ.

Sporty/more physical ENTPs mistype themselves as ESTP.

Highly-empathetic and people-focused ENTPs can mistype as ENFJ.

The thing is, you're still an ENTP, and trying to live up to these other personalities' standards/stereotypes can make you bitter and resentful.

In hindsight, the above are kinda questions, but thanks for taking the time to read this!

You're welcome!

 

[Simon Angel]

I've always been very confused by Elon. He doesn't look like an INTJ at all to me, more like an INTP (I know a few of each type). But people who have a deeper knowledge of MBTI tend to type him as an INTJ, so I must be wrong. I just find him too childish and clowny to be an INTJ. Not to mention building so many different companies screams Ne. But I might be missing something else. He is a weirdo anyway, so maybe just difficult to type.

His Ti/Te and Ni/Ne are all pretty high at this point. He's an older guy and quite intelligent, so he's had the time and created the circumstances to develop them.

Today, he's something of an INTJ/ENTP hybrid but still predominantly INTJ it seems. He's said it himself that ever since he was a kid, he always dreamed of going to Mars, and has had it as a lifelong goal. That's absolutely Introverted Intution, which points to INTJ/INFJ (clearly not an F type).

An ENTP would likely never dedicate themselves to one thing and shape their whole lives around it... unless that "thing" is gathering knowledge on literally everything and periodically switching interests and passions.

An INTP often lacks the motivation to leave their parents' house or even wash their teeth everyday, let alone lead thousands of people into developing rockets and being involved in several enterprises. But when healthy, you're likely to find out that SpaceX's best engineers and physicists are INTPs.

 

[Remiremi]

I started reading this and was immediately turned off by the obvious copywriting. A couple hours later I opened my phone and saw ENTP and wondered, "What am I again? Oh yeah, INTP." Though, I'm right in the middle of I and E.

I read another couple sentences and realized you were speaking the truth. This post describes me very well. Some of the words explained it better than I understood myself from experience. So, for that I thank you very much.

Thanks for sharing, I am glad it helped you.
May I ask you feedback about why the style turned you off at first? Because I am trying to get better at writing engaging pieces and any pointer would help a lot!

One thing that sticks out in particular is the part about hard deadlines. I've always worked so hard for others but had managed to wiggle out of every deadline I ever set for myself. The only way I found success in business is to hire employees and create hard deadlines that way. It works very well and now that I understand it more, I'll be able to take advantage of it more.

Thanks for sharing your experience with how hiring as been beneficial for you. I will focus on growing a team sooner than later thanks to you!

I noticed early in the entrepreneur journey that I had to act fast. If I had an idea, I needed to execute on it quickly and finish within a day or two or it was game over. I've made some amazing things happen in a day or two.... Other times, I spent a week pouring myself into something only to never look at it again.

...

To all other NTPs out there, stay strong and cut yourself some slack. We aren't meant for the slow burn. We are meant to flame out and burn hot before changing focus and lighting something else on fire. Let it burn ad long as it wants to then follow where your crazy mind takes you next!

Thanks for the encouragement! This is my credo from now on!

I can tell you wrote this for yourself and I appreciate the many grammatical errors. No true ENTP is going to go back and edit this without a hard deadline or a serious inkling for proper Grammer and punctuation.

Hahaha you got me. I only apply the last polish if I am obligated to do so or if it would be very stupid not too. Everything I do, I try to oneshot it as much as possible!

 

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[emphasize.v1]

Ever think we're just clones running on some sort of ENTP-AI? I was a beast at football btw.

I actually uncovered my guitar from the dust pile a few days ago and noticed one of the strings had killed itself.

Muscle memory is my favorite friend as well. And I actually remember talking with you about your advertising agency, I was dropshipping at the time.

Remember when we shat on that guy in a particular forum for promoting NoFap many years ago when we were kids? It's actually been life changing for me.

Yeah, I think we should just catch up soon lol

lol definitely buddy, strange stuff :')

tty soon

 

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[Kid]

Tell me more about it Wise Sensei.

You can't change your personality type - it should be renamed to "thought processes type". You can pretend to be another or you can just accept yourself and work on your shortcomings (which all types have).

Go meta - use all of those INTP, INTJ and others.
Decouple YOU from personality.

So to You that are finding reflection of themselves in those replies: ....Nah

 

[Simon Angel]

ENFJ-A Protagonist now, yay!

43%ENTP
17%ENTJ
12%ESTP
7%INTP
6%ENFP


You should sell this stuff.

Let's figure out whether you're an ENFJ or ENTP right now.

What were you like growing up? A smartass nerd or a dude with lots of friends? What about now?

Argued with the teacher or valiantly fought off bullies for others between classes?

Would you consider yourself a troll/prankster? What about people who know you?

If you hypothetically had a sister and she was known to sleep around and she comes crying to you because someone called her a whore, would you console her and feel sympathy for her or would your reaction be more akin to "Well, it is true though.."

Yeah I've thought about it.

 

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[Simon Angel]

Sure.

I know all about cognitive functions. I've done some pretty in-depth research over the years.

The problem is with some of these tests is, there is no addressing the "strength of the ability" or that people fundamentally prefer one thing over the other, not a bit of both. Those that try to score a strength, really aren't scoring that.

As with all self-tests, they are just an indication of their probable overall type.

Most flaws with these tests are people not having the correct feedback or giving answers based on bias. There aren't too many people really touching their core when they do these tests.

I think you can be a balance of both Ti and Ni.

I know from personal experience how I think and make decesions, and many times its a mix of both. At times I lean Ti, at times I lean Ni

All functions work synergetically. Ne + Ti can seem like Ni.

You sound more INTJ than INTP to me.

 

[Tom H.]

Hey have you look into Notion : here at Notion – The all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases. it's a very powerful tool.


This person basically implemented a system that is similarly complex and flexible as what you are aspiring too.

View: https://youtu.be/4-TYSah25UM


He calls it a "life operating system", he actually uses it to organize the future but you can probably use it to organize your past and your achievements.

It's a very good idea! I have been logging my achievements for two years now because if I don't I just forget hiw awesome I am

P. S. : notion can do all the tagging, crossing and aggregating that you want, this means no need to develop an app on top of your system.

Yea, I've looked at Notion, Evernote, Org-mode, various implementations of Zettlekasten, various implementations of GTD. Every system like that sucks me in and seems promising, but ultimately ends up more distracting than useful. I definitely believe in the value of having some kind of personal operating system. About 12-13 years ago I registered the domain exohead.com with the idea that I would build an awesome personal operating system platform where you could plan your life and then it would run your life for you.

The tools that have actually ended working for me are journaling and calendering.

The benefit of journaling is that I don't have the overhead of a system to maintain. For example, in my journal I can create the massive to-do lists and contexts and stuff that would be the first start of setting up a GTD system, and I find that a very useful activity from time to time, but then I don't worry about keeping that system current. Or sometimes what I need the most to get back to being productive is just to write down all of the ideas that are distracting me, or to process emotions that are blocking me from working, so I just put it into journal entries and then I'm done with it.

I never worry about keeping my journals organized (besides just dating the entries), which is not something I can say about my experiences using Evernote and Org-mode.

Another way to look at it is that I do better with "testing" rather than "tracking".

I fail to maintain a system that tracks my goals or habits or tasks, but I get a lot of benefit from doing spot inventories on these things from time to time, taking snapshots.

To your point @Remiremi about using Notion for tracking the past, I definitely think it'd be worth looking into for that purpose. I have kind of settled on using the standardized, open iCal format as my productivity tool of choice, and I have a bigger idea of building tools to use iCal in more powerful ways, but test driving these ideas with Notion and other similar apps will probably give me good ideas for what kind of features I want to make work with iCal. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Tom H.]

I don't get it, sorry. Your writing language (do this, do that) and you being patronizing screams INTJ/ENTJ (high Te function) and your disregard of the theory + "decoupling yourself from personality" points to the Fi function, which again is also in the INTJ/ENTJ personalities' stack.

Like I said, MBTI and cognitive functions has shown me who I really am, but did not give me an excuse to be lazy or undisciplined because I'm an ENTP. Instead it has pointed my weaknesses out to me and I've been developing my inferior functions.

I'm unclear on this argument (maybe that's the openness and perceiving at work...).

I definitely do not believe it's easy (if possible) to just change personality types at will. That seems blatantly ignorant of the fact that we are all caught up in a process of cause and effect. At the same time, I suspect that personalities are not exactly hard-coded.

I'm attracted to the idea that I could at least passably pretend to be a different personality-type, but then there is my life experience that shows this has never really been true for me. Sure, I have self-control, I can control my behavior, but the compulsions in my gut don't seem to change.

I could convince myself that I'm going to become the kind of personality type that can set like a bodybuilding goal and create a plan, and execute it for 6 months. And for a week or two I can convince myself that I really am becoming that person, but really it's just not in me, after a few weeks I am completely bored of dumbass bodybuilding and my gut is telling me to do something different. If I really had an INTJ personality-type (or whatever type is good at robotic execution) then I wouldn't have the urge in my bones to resist the plan, I would just happily plod along executing the plan and reaching my goals.

I know that I have changed in major ways over time, but that probably has more to do with the maturation of my personality-type than an actual change in personality. If personality types are malleable, the change at least has to be part of a process or major shock - just deciding to change overnight is delusion and self-will temporarily trying to override reality.

 

[Tom H.]

You can't change, ever. Supposedly your functions can change due to extreme trauma, but I'm not sure how extreme that is considering what I've gone through. I'd assume brain injury.

By the way, ENTPs and INTJs are complimenting types and can really get eachother. They're also shadow types. Let me explain.

ENTP stack: Ne Ti Fe Si
INTJ stack: Ni Te Fi Se

Quick recap of Ne and Ni - Extroverted Intution (Ne) is the function that sees endless possibilities and often is unable to weigh them against eachother. Introverted intuition (Ni) is the one that sees "the one" best possibility.

Mirrored functions but same order. ENTPs are said to become literal INTJs during severe stress. But not usually in a healthy way. ENTPs in INTJ mode stop seeing all the various possibilities and become very narrow sighted and it often ends up being a mistake. INTJs in ENTP mode lost their ability to accurately judge the possibilities that lie before them and usually end up at a crossroads sitting ducks.

By the way, shadow functions are pretty advanced stuff and not everyone agrees on them. Most people settle on types under stress having their own function stack but inverted.

So an ENTP with Ne Ti Fe Si would become an ISFJ with Si Fe Ti Ne. I think this is the more plausible scenario so take everyrthing with an open mind and judge for yourself.

You definitely sound like an ENTP by the way. ADHD is something people with the Ne function suffer from and it's a shame kids and adults alike are being medicated for.. something totally natural.

We all bring our gifts to the world and when you put a Ne dominant/auxillary person (ENTP, ENFP, INTP, INFP) you're literally turning them into robots. I've talked with ENTPS on antidepressants, Aderall and SSRIs and they're like "It feels like being an INTJ or something, sharp, focused and can stick to a task all day long".

Another ENTP who got a lot of shit done in their life but didn't believe he used his potential to the full extent was Leonardo Da Vinci. He hated himself for his procrastination, yet his legacy remains.

And just for fun:

Fictional characters who are ENTP: Tony Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jack Sparrow, Deadpool, The Joker (The Dark Knight trilogy and DC comics), Chandler Bing, Tyler Durden, Saul Goodman, Emmet "Doc" Brown, Bugs Bunny, Negan from The Walking Dead, Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange, Pennywise from Stephen King's IT, Jerry Mouse from Tom & Jerry.

Real life people: Benjamin Franklin, Niccolo Machiavelli, Steve Wozniak, Mao Zedong, Jeremy Clarkson, Salma Hayek, Adam Savage, Hugh Grant,, Matthew Perry, Voltaire, Leonardo Da Vinci, Richard Feynman, Barrack Obama, Alexander The Great (tied between ESTP and ENTP) Nero, Caligula, Socrates, Fidel Castro.

Of course, all of the above real people and fictional characters come with a range of enneagram types. Your enneagram CAN change over time and it has a lot to do with how you behave and what you perceive yourself as, want from life.

Personally I've always been a 8w7 over the years. That would put me next to Tyler Durden, Socrates, Satan (yup, Satan is typed as an ENTP 8w7 by enthusiasts), Negan from The Walking Dead, Thomas Edison, Fidel Castro, Alex DeLarge, Mao Zedong, Caligula, Jeremy Clarkson.

>Pennywise

 

[rockit11]

Bit of a slowlane question! but I'm curious, what jobs are recommended for an ENTP? This could also help be an indicator for businesses that are good for ENTPs too.