Day 8: Making Your Personality Work for You

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.

PSALM 139:15

WE TURN THE MUSIC up loud.

My youngest daughter and I begin to dance, moving all around the living room. I pick her up and swing her around, and she giggles and I love it. I twist and shake and throw some pillows on the couch.

“Care, dance yourself over to your Barbies on the floor and take them to your room, please.”

She shimmies over and starts to pick them up.

My son can’t not dance. He has the beat in his bones and does his own little jig, which always makes me laugh. He has such zeal. I ask him to pick up his Legos and put them away.

“Mom! Turn the music down!” my oldest daughter shouts. She doesn’t want to dance; she’s listening to an audiobook while cleaning her room. Dancing is not her thing when it comes to cleaning. That’s okay, I’ll get her to dance later. She’ll resist, and then she’ll break into a smile, and after we’ve twirled around the room numerous times, we’ll eventually fall on the couch out of breath.

We dance, we clean, we listen, we giggle, we get frustrated, we yell, we work, and we eventually get it done.

This is how we do it.

I hope that you took the DISC test I mentioned so you have discovered your personality style.

I believe this information about personalities is super helpful, but I don’t think we need to rely solely on it or become obsessed with it. Still, it can help us better understand our strengths and weaknesses, and how we can use them in our cleaning and organization efforts.

Today we’re going to look at the best ways to get and stay motivated for each personality style. Here we go!

The “D” Style

You are very results oriented and you like the bottom line. You look for the fastest way possible to get your work done. You thrive on challenges, and you are also a great motivator. Let’s use these qualities to get you moving!

MOTIVATION: CHALLENGE

You need to be challenged, so try giving yourself a challenge each day. Maybe it’s one big challenge or a few small ones. Either way, you will achieve real results if you meet your challenges. If, for example, you want to go to sleep in a clean bedroom each night, challenge yourself to spend twenty minutes a day straightening up your room and making your bed. Challenge yourself to do it during a particular time of the day until it becomes a habit, say between 9:00 and 9:20 every morning. You need to see results or you will soon give up, so developing a habit for yourself is imperative! Go on. Challenge yourself to form one new habit and give it all you’ve got!

The “I” Style

You would rather do practically anything than clean. You’re superfun and very people oriented, so cleaning your home with no one to really talk to but little ones is extrahard on you. If only you could have someone over every day to talk and clean with you, this whole cleaning thing wouldn’t be so bad!

MOTIVATION: POSITIVE FEEDBACK/FUN

Here are some ways you can get motivated:

  1. Reward yourself or have someone reward you for doing certain tasks. Work something out with your hubby or your mother or your sister or a friend. For example, if you keep your home in order and clean for a week, your husband takes you out to dinner or some other thing you enjoy. Set tangible goals that you have to meet, but keep them small and realistic. You are not detail oriented!
  2. Have fun with cleaning! Play your music loud, dance while you clean—whatever you do, just make it fun!
  3. You dream of having a clean home, but you just don’t think it’s possible with your personality. It is! You can and will have a clean and welcoming home! Just think—if you can keep your home tidy, you will be more willing to have people over and be the fun hostess that you are!
  4. Ask your husband/loved ones/friends/kids to tell you when you are doing a good job—you need all the encouragement you can get. Negative feedback just puts you in a slump!

The “S” Style

You are a sweetie! S types are friendly and steady—you make us D types melt! You are extremely loyal and supportive; you need security and stability. If someone is willing to gently guide you and teach you ways to be clean and organized, you will fare well under your teacher’s authority. In fact, you enjoy having someone guide you. You find comfort in it.

MOTIVATION: AFFIRMATION

You need to be affirmed by being told that what you’re doing matters, and that you’re doing a good job. Here are some tips that might help you:

  1. Ask your husband or kids to affirm you when you do a good job.
  2. Affirm yourself! This may be difficult for you, but when you complete a goal or give your best effort, tell yourself, “Good job!” Thank God that He is the ultimate provider of stability and security, and His promises will never fail.
  3. Find a program that teaches and guides you.

The “C” Style

You are a superdetailed person, and you love structure and quality. You are a natural organizer, but you can sometimes be critical and a perfectionist, which can get in the way of the big picture. You seek facts, and you want to know the most systematic way to get things done. Quite frankly, you probably don’t even need this book!

MOTIVATION: STRUCTURE

Make a schedule and get yourself into a routine. (Seriously, like I need to even tell you this!) You won’t have much trouble with consistency, but what you may have trouble with is how to do everything “right” and still relax to spend time with your husband or kiddos. You need to have realistic expectations to get what you need done, but without expecting perfection. Strive for excellence, but land in the softness of grace.

Mary Challenge

coffee cupREAD PSALM 119:73

Why can we rely on God for understanding?

What does He give us that helps us understand His character?

Try one of the ideas listed under the motivation for your personality style.

notepadMARTHA CHALLENGE

TODAY YOU ARE GOING TO CLEAN AND ORGANIZE YOUR BOOKSHELVES.

You will want to set aside at least an hour or two for this job, especially if you get distracted when you start looking through your books!

bookshelfHERE’S THE PLAN:

1. Get a big box or trash bag for books you are going to give away.

2. Take all the books off your shelf and begin to sort them, putting giveaway books directly into the box or bag.

3. Dust your shelves.

4. Place the books back on the shelves.

Doesn’t it look wonderful? Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re done for today! Tomorrow, floors!