I stopped counting at 4 hours trying to solve an issue with a flight change. Messaging with the airline, trying to fix the problem online, and finally on hold on the phone.

Friend, I am currently listening to the hold music with interruptions from the voice that says, “You can conveniently solve this problem at our website.”
I ALREADY TRIED THAT!

I used all my tricks from last month’s Three Ways to Stay Calm When You Want to Lose Your Ish. Which was helpful. I wasn’t losing my mind. But I wouldn’t say I was in a super healthy Enneagram Seven space.

I kept thinking, “There are so many better things for me to do.” Something more exciting, more valuable, or just more fun.

And right there — those are the thoughts that are a tiny alert to me that I’ve moved out of healthy space.

Enneagram wisdom teaches different levels of health that I like to think of as lanes: Healthy, average, and unhealthy. 

And each type has a lane departure warning that indicates: pay attention, you’re moving lanes!

When you scoot out of healthy space to average space, your ego staging a takeover. The ego is trying to keep you safe, but your ego is terrible at teamwork, clear perspective, and healthy choices.

Dr. Susan McDaniels and other researchers have identified this type of internal self-awareness as part of the “deep-level” factors that have the most significant impact on leadership and teamwork.

Hence the beauty of learning your unique lane departure warning!

Lane departure warnings for each Enneagram type moving from healthy to average space:

Type Eight Lane Departure Warning:

Feeling you have to push and struggle to make things happen. This is the only way.

Type Nine Lane Departure Warning:

Outwardly accommodating yourself to others. And either ignoring your desires or staying stubborn.

Type One Lane Departure Warning:

Feeling a sense of personal burden and duty to fix everything yourself.

Type Two Lane Departure Warning:

Believing you must win over other people so they like you or accept you.

Type Three Lane Departure Warning:

Starting to push for status and attention. 

Type Four Lane Departure Warning:

Ruminating on and intensifying feelings by going inward to your imagination.

Type Five Lane Departure Warning:

Withdrawing from the outward reality into a mind palace of concepts and ideas.

Type Six Lane Departure Warning:

Beginning to overly depend on someone or something outside yourself for guidance.

Type Seven Lane Departure Warning:

Believing something better is available somewhere else.

Notice if you hear any of these lane departure warnings. This will reset you to making better choices. You can use SNAP to help you.

Want some deep-dive support in understanding how to use Enneagram knowledge to create a great team? I’m hosting a small group of leaders to dig into leadership mindset and personality style and actually learn how to apply it to improve your leadership. Find out details right here.

So even though I’m LITERALLY still on hold trying to solve this flight fiasco as I write this article, I know it’s exactly what I need to be doing. My ego would rather me give up and procrastinate further.

But because I noticed my lane departure warning, I can keep myself right here. Doing exactly what needs to happen for the best outcome for everyone.