Doodles

I am currently on the West Coast of Canada in Victoria B.C.. Yoga studios, coffee shops, organic gardening and healthy living are in evidence everywhere. I am here hanging out with my kids so it could also be that the laid back active healthy lifestyle is a total reflection of their life choices.

In any case I have met Steve. Steve is a fascinating ENFP, as if all ENFP’s myself included, aren’t fascinating. As of February 1st Steve announced the end of his Fall/Winter regimen. Steve is the UBER outdoorsman and he is going into serious training to be ready for all the activities the warmer weather brings.

Canadians typically shift our eating patterns from the warm comfort food we crave in the cold weather to eating lighter fare in the summer. However, Steve was so intentional about his approach. It struck me that the simplicity of this focus made such sense and works for a “perceiver” to have lots of wiggle room and not feel tied down by a rigid schedule. Such a seasonal approach is not for everyone but this definitely works for Action-oriented Steve.

I love it when real life situations inspire a “doodle” – one of my MBTI cartoons. I had scheduled a day of work with a friend, who happens to have a preference for Perceiving, when towards the late afternoon she asked if we could continue in the evening as she had other things scheduled.

Work horse that I am, I had to ask what could possibly interrupt our work flow. A big grin crossed her face as she announced that this was a “S” day and that as well as working with me she also had a swim time planned followed by Scrabble.

I laughed thinking that it was a coincidence that everything started with an “S”, but when I asked what letter day the next day was she rattled off the items all starting with “C” with such a straight face as if it was the most natural way of scheduling one’s day.

I realize this an unprofessional question but I wonder “Do P”s have more fun?”

ESTP's Hands On TO DO Bulletin Board

There may be as many ways of keeping track of things “to do” as there are MBTI types. This Dominant Sensing ESTP likes to see their To Do’s, move them around as things progress and enjoy seeing them completed with a slam dunk into the garbage can (aka trash). Booyah indeed – making a check mark or putting a line through an item seems lame in comparison.

This MBTI cartoon aka doodle shows the frustration a person with a Judging preference might feel when their organized approach meets the options oriented approach of someone with a Perceiving preference.

Cool thing is that this interaction happened right in front of my eyes while I was visiting friends. He thought his favourite Bob Marley CD was lost forever. She was wide eyed and innocent that everyone wouldn’t file that way. In fact she was really proud that the CD’s were filed at all. The really funny part for me, is that knowing her the way I do, she might have had a different filing system on a different day. The sad truth is that, I also, can never quite remember what filing methodology made sense to me at the moment. I can totally understand the frustration this creates. I frustrate myself. Grrrr…….

Now where are all those stocking stuffers I bought last July?

Aaron was inspired to do his own MBTI cartoons for his type INFJ. He tells me that the inspiration for these come from his own life. I think they speak for themselves. Thanks for sharing Aaron. You can learn more about him at his website, blog or follow him on Twitter

NFP - How to get along with me

Authenticity may be the INFP’s middle name. They seek meaning and purpose in all they do. They understand that people bring their own gifts and talents. They pay attention to the fact that each individual will react differently and have different timing needs and that all of that needs to be factored in to any process. This doodle is a reminder to value their individuality as they value yours.

Sensing and Intuitive Entrepreneurs in Action

This “Doodle” came out of a chicken and egg conversation I had this week. The natural starting point for those who prefer Intuition is with the big picture. Those with a Sensing preference may start with something more concrete and visible and build the big picture as the pieces add up.

Even though I know better – this still blows my mind.

Where do you start? AND how does it work for you?

INTJ - How to get along with me

This MBTI related workplace tip is a gem. The INTJ can be a great communicator presenting clear and compelling observations and creating clarity around ideas and outcomes for the team. Because their vision of the big picture is so clear they zero in on action toward those goals. They might not appreciate team members who take up a lot of their time being brought up to speed. AND above all else they need people to understand and respect their need for uninterrupted time alone.

INFJ - How to gt along with me

This advice comes from an INFJ and may refer to their dislike of having to manage lots of minutiae and details. They are more interested in the visionary direction and valuable work. So give them enough specifics but don’t overwhelm them with detail or pressure them in the moment to either exhibit extroverted behaviour or to answering without an opportunity for reflection.

Cartoons take the cartoonist aka the “doodler” into a world of imagination. The trick is to anchor them in something very real and recognizable. Hopefully in both the reality and the exaggeration a nugget of truth will emerge.

My Twitter friend Aaron Caycedo-Kimura has been playing with some doodles of his own which he has generously offered to share here and with his community of INFJ friends. Aaron comments on the value he has experienced in capturing his thoughts this way. Such an authentic gesture always benefits others as well.

The last few books I’ve read have been about the authors’ childhoods, and they made me think about how I could give voice to my experience. I’m not really a writer, and it’s hard to express what I want with just images. So, this doodling has been great.

One more thing about Aaron. I loved looking at the work he has on his blog. You might like to have a visit there to say hello.

A Doodle from Aaron Caycedo-Kimura