Productivity tips for your Enneagram personality type

There are a lot of ways to convince yourself to do something (even when you really don’t want to). One way is to first understand what drives you to be productive in the first place—and conversely, what doesn’t. At least, that’s the guiding principle behind discovering your Enneagram personality type. Because what works for one personality type won’t necessarily work for another.  

For example, as a true Enneagram Type 7—an “Enthusiast”—I tend to overcommit to new projects because I like to take on new challenges. Brainstorming new ideas, then (a recommended productivity strategy for an Enneagram Type 3), wouldn’t make sense for me. What will? Keep reading to find out (or jump ahead). 

Here, I’ll give you a brief overview of what each Enneagram personality type means and recommend productivity strategies and apps you can use based on your Enneagram type. 

What is the Enneagram? 

The Enneagram is a personality structure made up of nine distinct personality types. The belief is that everyone’s overall personality is made up of all nine types, but one always stands out as your most dominant self. Once you identify your dominant personality type, along with your underlying motivations and core beliefs, you can adjust how you approach everything from relationships to work in a way that suits your personality. 

You can take the Enneagram test to discover your type, but it’ll set you back about $20. (Don’t be fooled by websites that claim their tests are free. Taking the test might be free—getting the results is not.) 

If you already know your Enneagram type and want to discover productivity tips and app recommendations tailored to your type, jump ahead. Otherwise, keep scrolling.

Enneagram Type 1: The Reformer 

Enneagram Type 1s are idealistic people who are constantly on a mission to improve themselves and the world around them. While others tend to view Type 1s as well-organized and self-controlled, this isn’t how Type 1s see themselves. Because they hold such high standards, Type 1s are highly critical of themselves and others and feel like nothing they do is good enough. Left unchecked, this tendency can push Type 1s to become all-consumed by their work.  

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 1

As an Enneagram Type 1, there are plenty of ways you can accomplish nothing and still feel exhausted—or worse, burnt out. To avoid that, here are some practical strategies you can use to achieve more (no burnout required). 

• Set HARD goals. Creating Heartfelt, Animated, Required, and Difficult goals taps into the sense of mission that drives an Enneagram Type 1 to want to improve. When detailing the HARD criteria of your goal, you address questions like, “How will this goal make your or someone else’s life better?” and “How will you grow while pursuing this goal?” Plus, HARD goals work in tandem with SMART plans—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound—which offer a clear path forward. Learn more about how to build a SMART plan around your HARD goal. 

• Delegate tasks. Not only do Type 1s want to better themselves—they want to push others to do the same. By delegating tasks, you cultivate a culture of trust and empower others to achieve their full potential. Beyond that, collaboration can lead to better outcomes, which ultimately feeds your mission to improve.  

• Embrace “good enough.” This may be the trickiest strategy mentally, especially for an Enneagram Type 1—but hear me out. Your to-do list is likely made up of a mix of impactful and essential-but-tedious tasks. The former are ones that move the needle (they have the potential to “raise the bar”) while the latter don’t benefit a ton from added time and energy (these can get by with being “good enough”). If you group your tasks into these buckets and embrace “good enough,” you can direct your energy where it’s most useful.

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 1

You need a place to store and keep track of all your tasks. (How else will you get to cross it off and feel that inexplicably overwhelming sense of satisfaction that comes with it?) To do that, check out Zapier’s roundup of the best to-do list apps. 

Take Todoist, for example. You can quickly add tasks to your to-do list, group them into projects—for example, “work” and “personal”—and set due dates.  

Todoist also integrates with Zapier, which means you can automatically create tasks in Todoist whenever something happens in one of your favorite apps. Here are some ideas for automating Todoist with Zapier, or try one of these examples.

If you need to manage tasks for a group, you’re better off using project management software. Asana is a top pick of the best free project management software particularly for teams. It’s easy to create tasks and assign them to others. The AI assistant can even help you set realistic goals for a given project. And its dashboard gives you a clear overview of task progress and milestones achieved. 

Whether you’re working solo or with a team, you can integrate Asana with Zapier. This way, you can connect project information to other apps. Try one of the workflows below, or get inspiration from these automations from real users. 

Enneagram Type 2: The Helper 

Empathetic and self-sacrificing, Enneagram Type 2s feel their best when they feel helpful. While well-meaning, Type 2s tend to become over-involved in the lives of others and end up doing things for them in order to feel needed. Without healthy boundaries, an Enneagram Type 2 can slip into people-pleasing behaviors that stretch them too thin and foster resentment. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 2

Despite what your insides tell you, it’s ok—necessary, even—to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. And you’ll find you get more out of work and life when you do. Here are some actionable strategies to help you do this. 

• Set boundaries. There’s no one right way to identify, create, set, or keep a boundary. But there are plenty of places you can start. For example, define who you work with. Maybe you’ll help people only if they come to you first and ask for help. Or perhaps you’ll make yourself available to help only during weekdays. This way, you can still fulfill your desire to be helpful without overstepping or overcommitting.  

• Embrace saying no. As an Enneagram Type 2, you’re deeply empathetic. It makes sense, then, that you feel compelled to say yes to every request that comes your way. But by defaulting to yes, you may end up deprioritizing important work or worse, burning out. By saying no to tasks that don’t align with your priorities, you keep your energy focused on what matters. If the idea of saying no is uncomfortable to you, check out this trick folks at Zapier use to help them say no.

• Practice effective communication. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous strategy. Instead of just saying no, you can follow it up with the why. For example, “I wish I could help you with this project, but I don’t have time before the deadline because of other priorities.” This is clear and minimizes the potential of any misunderstandings. Whether you’re texting a friend or Slacking a coworker, these communication tips can help. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 2

As an Enneagram Type 2, you need a way to establish and maintain healthy boundaries. Habit-tracking apps are a great tool for doing just this. 

Habitica, for example, is a habit-tracking app that gamifies habit tracking by turning it into a role-playing game. You can add tasks, daily activities, and habits to a list—but you can also battle monsters with your friends. Here’s a screenshot from mine.

If a pseudo-retro gamified experience doesn’t appeal to you, there are plenty of other apps on the market. Streaks is a solid option for iPhone users, while HabitNow is built for Android. For even more options, check out the best habit tracker apps. 

Enneagram Type 3: The Achiever 

Enneagram Type 3s are energetic and ambitious, often exceeding the expectations set before them. The downside, however, is that Type 3s tend to perform others’ definition of success—so much so that they lose sight of what matters to them. Even though others tend to look up to Type 3s because of their personal accomplishments, those same achievements can also be a source of exhaustion and alienation. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 3

If you find yourself saying yes to everything because you’re unclear about what matters to you, here are some strategies to combat that. 

• Write down your priorities. By taking a personal inventory and clearly defining your priorities in ink (or digital ink—your choice), you can anchor future decisions around them. For example, if your goal is to publish a novel by the end of the year, it’s easier to say no to joining your company’s rec curling league in favor of writing morning pages. 

• Brainstorm new ideas. If you feel so far removed from what matters to you—as in, you have no clue what’s truly important to you anymore—consider this a fresh start. Take the opportunity to jot down every idea that comes to mind. Even if your ideas feel “bad,” some of the best ideas are born from bad idea brainstorms.

• Spend quality time away from work. Before you hit total burnout, proactively schedule a proper break from work—physically and psychologically. Whether that’s a week-long staycation so you can finally dive into the books piling up on your nightstand or a road trip with friends, detach yourself from work entirely. This will give your body and brain a chance to recover and recharge so you can be more productive when you return. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 3

Enneagram Type 3s need a way to remind themselves of what matters to them. Journaling apps are a great place to start. 

To ease yourself into journaling, try the Five Minute Journal (there’s an app for iOS and Android users). There are timed prompts in the morning and evening that help you set a purpose for your day and reflect on the positive things that happened.

If longer-form writing isn’t for you, Daylio allows you to reflect on your day using only visuals. For even more options, check out the best journal apps. 

Enneagram Type 4: The Individualist 

Enneagram Type 4s are passionate about expressing their individuality and surrounding themselves with beauty. Driven by the belief that they’re unique and that no one can truly understand them, they tend to isolate themselves—favoring to do everything on their own, in their own way. The real challenge for an Enneagram Type 4, then, is doing tasks when they’re feeling uninspired or that don’t utilize their talents. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 4

When it comes to productivity strategies for an Enneagram Type 4, the strategies have less to do with the task itself and more to do with setting up an environment and support systems that inspire you to operate at your full potential. 

• Schedule regular check-ins. Type 4s work best when they feel their contributions are valued and acknowledged. This can be difficult, especially if your work doesn’t require a lot of collaboration or you work remotely. In this case, schedule weekly or bi-monthly meetings with your manager to reflect on what you’ve achieved. Acknowledging your achievements together will unlock the motivation you need to keep progressing.  

• Create an inspiring workspace. If you’re trying to do your best work from a cubicle set in a windowless office, chances are it’s a struggle. While it might sound silly, something as simple as relocating to a table near a window (if possible), adding color to your walls, or setting a plant on your desk can improve your overall mood. Here are other ways to create a productive desk setup.

• Make time for creative pursuits. Perhaps your job is all numbers and black and white answers—there’s little room for you to think outside the box there. In that case, take up activities that provide the creative outlet you need. Who knows? Just like this business owner, maybe jazz classes are what you need to break out of a professional slump. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 4

As an Enneagram Type 4, you need ways to incorporate creativity throughout your day. Maybe that’s doodling a portrait of the office dog. Or perhaps it’s sketching out a new project workflow, complete with flowcharts. While they don’t offer tools to doodle Rover, the best mind mapping apps offer creative ways to visualize new ideas. 

Take Coggle, for example. It lets you mind map with text and images. You can also collaborate with colleagues on a map, which is especially great for Type 4s who deeply wish to connect with others. 

Enneagram Type 5: The Investigator 

Enneagram Type 5s are deeply curious—they’re driven to understand how the world works, testing most assumptions for themselves. Type 5s tend to be isolated as they spend a lot of time contemplating why things are the way they are with the belief that they can rejoin the world only after they’ve figured out every detail. It’s this relentless pursuit of knowledge that can hinder them from meeting ambiguous or urgent deadlines. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 5

Left to your own devices, you would gladly spend your whole day learning. But that would make the whole get work done thing a bit tricky. These productivity strategies give you the best of both worlds: time for learning and tackling your task list. 

• Block time for research. If you regularly find yourself falling down a rabbit hole of curiosities, that’s ok. Lean into it. But set a time limit. Time blocking is a time management technique that lets you schedule how you’ll spend each day, one block at a time. This way, you can carve out time for research and getting work done. 

• Automate research gathering. Instead of spending valuable time gathering research, leverage AI to round it up for you. Some AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, can even take it a step further and analyze the data for you, surfacing the most relevant information. 

• Seek opportunities for knowledge sharing. As an Enneagram Type 5, you have an intrinsic desire to be seen as someone who has insights to share. By engaging in knowledge sharing activities—informal lunch-and-learns with your team or more formal mentorships—you create an opportunity to share what you’ve learned. Knowledge sharing also has the added benefit of equipping teammates with knowledge that can help them be more effective in their roles. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 5

There are only so many hours in a day, and you need a way to ensure those hours are spent doing what you love to do (learn) and what you have to do (your job). A time blocking app is a great way to help manage your schedule. 

Sunsama offers a simple solution to planning out your day. Sign on in the morning, and you’ll be asked which tasks you have to work on, how long you think they are, and when you want to do them all. When you’re nearing the end of your day, Sunsama will prompt you to jot down what you finished and what you didn’t get to, so you have a way of logging everything else you want to Google. 

Enneagram Type 6: The Loyalist 

Reliable, hardworking, and productive—Enneagram Type 6s consistently prove themselves to be invaluable assets, especially in a collaborative environment. The key issue for Type 6s, though, is that they lack self-confidence, so they rely on external supports for guidance to survive. Without adequate support, they can be anxious and self-doubting, which can hinder their ability to make decisions and slow down progress. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 6

In order to be productive, you need to feel secure. These strategies will help you develop and maintain that security. 

• Create a routine. As reliable as they are, Type 6s need to feel that there’s something equally reliable in their lives. A daily routine is one such way to establish a sense of stability. Whether it’s starting your day with exercise or ending it with meditation, find the routine that works for you. 

• Schedule regular check-ins. If you have a lot of projects on the go, it’s helpful to have someone ask you how things are going and if there’s anything they can support you with. Be honest in your conversations—if you do need support or if something’s not working, let your manager know so they can jump in. In terms of staying motivated, this sense of “I’ve got your back” can go a long way for an Enneagram Type 6.

• Prioritize your tasks beforehand. When Type 6s feel anxious, they lose the ability to make a decision. Get ahead of this by sorting your tasks using a priority technique, such as the MoSCow prioritization method. This way, you can simply work down your list of high-priority tasks without giving it too much extra thought. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 6

Many prioritization techniques can be done using pen and paper. But if you prefer to do things digitally, try a project management app that offers Kanban boards.

Trello is a popular choice for this. You can add your tasks and organize them into different lists—for example, using the same MoSCoW prioritization method mentioned before, you could label your lists as “Must do,” “Should do,” “Could do,” and “Won’t do.” And if your priorities change, it’s easy to drag-and-drop tasks from one list to another. 

To get the most out of a project management app, though, you have to first make sure all your tasks actually get added to your board, so you can categorize them. With Zapier, you can automate this process by connecting Trello with your task sources, like Slack or your email inbox. Learn more about how to automate Trello, or get started with one of these workflows.

Enneagram Type 7: The Enthusiast 

Enneagram Type 7s are versatile and spontaneous, always on the lookout for an exciting new adventure. While their seize-the-day energy can be infectious (you’re welcome), they have a tendency to get distracted by the next great thing, act impulsively, and overextend themselves. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 7

Your boundless positive energy is a huge asset to getting things done—that is, if you can direct it where it’s needed without getting sidetracked. Here are a few ways to help you do just that. 

• Gamify your deadlines. Deadlines may not be enough to motivate you to get something done—especially when that thing loses novelty. By turning your task into a game, though, you become more emotionally involved with the task at hand, which encourages you to actually complete it. Here are even more ways to set deadlines that motivate you. 

• Try parallel working. Parallel working (or body doubling) refers to doing a task with someone else present. Knowing that someone is present and aware that you’re doing a task tends to increase your motivation to complete it—whether that’s washing dishes while your roommate hangs out in the kitchen with you or coworking over Zoom, these are all great ways to hold yourself accountable to getting tasks done.  

• Minimize distractions. We all fall prey to distractions, but they’re especially challenging for an Enneagram Type 7. Instead of relying on willpower alone to stay focused, leverage software to block distractions while you work. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 7

As someone who gets easily distracted by all the things (hey, fellow Type 7s!), I highly recommend using a focus app. 

Freedom can block distractions—both websites and apps—on all of your devices, simultaneously. No more blocking Instagram on your computer, only to immediately open it on your phone. If you start a session, your distractions are blocked everywhere.

Or you can try something more fun like PawBlock. If you visit a distracting website, you’ll see a cute animal who’s disappointed with your choices. Decide to leave that site, and you’ll see a happy animal. It’s manipulative, but hey—if it works, it works. 

Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger 

More than any other personality, Enneagram Type 8s like to be in charge. While Type 8s view their brutally honest communication style and assertiveness as an act of service to others (how else would you push others to perform?), it can be viewed as confrontational and intimidating which can quickly bring collaborative efforts to a halt. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 8

Unlike other types, productivity strategies for an Enneagram Type 8 are more focused on learning to work effectively with others so that you can continue to work collaboratively to move projects forward. Here are a few ways to do this. 

• Set clear goals with your team. If you’re an Enneagram Type 8, you probably read the headline of this article and thought, “I have no problem getting things done.” Where you tend to run into trouble, however, is communicating your expectations with others. By working with your teammates to clearly define and agree upon goals, you ensure everyone’s on the same page. 

• Learn how to deliver feedback. Honesty is important when building relationships. But there’s a fine line between being honest and being brutally honest. Here are some tips to  help you deliver feedback your recipient can stomach—and grow from. And if they have feedback to share, here are tips on how to actively listen so the deliverer feels heard. 

• Delegate tasks. Similar to Type 1s, Type 8s want to empower others to achieve their full potential. One way to do this is by recognizing your teammates’ strengths and delegating tasks accordingly. 

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 8

The key to succeeding as a team is ensuring you’re all working towards the same definition of success. A collaborative note-taking app offers a practical way to track these goals, leave notes, and create tasks to support these goals. 

Take Notion, for example. While it’s technically a note-taking app, it can be so much more. It’s practically three tools in one: a powerful notes app (which is why I’m mentioning it), a task and project manager, and a reference wiki. 

Notion also integrates with Zapier, so you can connect it to your other go-to apps. Here are ways you can use automation to turn Notion into the perfect information hub. Or get started with one of these workflows. 

The only downside is that you have to upgrade to a paid account to use Notion with a team. For free alternatives, check out the best note-taking apps. 

Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker 

As the name suggests, Enneagram Type 9s like to go with the flow and strive to create harmony in their environment. Type 9s can easily adapt to any situation, making them ideal collaborators. This chameleon ability, however, can cause them to lose touch with their own priorities, which can foster a sense of resentment. 

Productivity tips for an Enneagram Type 9

Keeping the peace doesn’t have to come at the expense of your own needs. Use these strategies to establish healthy boundaries. 

• Write down your priorities. If you’ve lost track of what matters to you, now is a good time to reexamine that. Take time to reflect on the projects you actually want to take on, the goals you want to achieve, and work backwards from there. Armed with a list of tasks that will benefit your goals, you’ll have an easier time saying no to tasks that don’t.  

• Learn how to disagree. Type 9s are conflict-avoidant. You’ll do anything to keep the peace, even if that means saying yes to something you disagree with or a project you don’t really have time to take on. But disagreeing isn’t inherently bad—it all comes down to how you disagree. 

• Use a priority matrix. Enneagram Type 9s tend to get lost in big-picture thinking, even for small decisions. Using a priority matrix can help prevent you from getting carried away by grounding you in concrete questions.

Recommended productivity apps for an Enneagram Type 9

Boundary setting can be challenging for an Enneagram Type 9 because there’s an intrinsic fear that saying “no” to something (no matter how respectfully) will disturb the peace. To solve that problem, let an AI assistant say no for you instead. 

Reclaim is a solid choice for this. During onboarding, you set up your work hours and choose the way the AI engine should prioritize your tasks. You can also set how defensive the AI engine should be when scheduling. If you set it to Always free, it’ll let Phyllis from accounting grab those 30 minutes easily; if you set it to Busy, it won’t let even the president in. 

Reclaim isn’t the only AI scheduling assistant on the market. There are other AI assistants that can help you with managing projects or syncing team calendars. Here are the best AI scheduling assistants. 

Embrace your Enneagram at work

You already know how your Enneagram affects your life, but it’s interesting to see how it can affect your work, too. I’d bet that if you can find the right methods and apps to support your Enneagram type, you’ll be more productive—and more fulfilled—at work.

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