How To Assess Your Family Personalities
Have you ever had one of those days, where you tirelessly worked to take care of everyone else, and it seemed to be completely unappreciated? Maybe even fruitless, as though all your efforts were for not? It may be that you have inaccurately assessed the needs of your family members.
When it comes to motherhood, I often like to reference the drowning man. That the difference between the man who is drowning and the man who is swimming is not the amount of effort put fourth, but calculated focused efforts vs. the flailing. The thing is, a lot of people want to jump right in without doing the prep work. That's why we have sayings like "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." These sayings are to keep reminding humanity that it's worth the time to think ahead. Meeting the needs of your loved ones is as simple as it seems, but it's not second nature. You have to work at it, and your efforts have to be calculated, measured, and corrected.
I use two lists to accomplish this task. You can find both of these printables in the resources tab!
Firstly I make a list for each person in my home, answering the following three questions:
Are they introverted or extroverted?
Are they physically or mentally inclined?
Are they logical or intuitive?
These three answers help you to determine the following three needs:
How they recharge.
What is fulfilling to them.
How they think, and how you should listen.
I know right, not the needs you were considering? The physical requirements of our family members are essential. They are also a little easier to navigate. I put a bit more time into the emotional needs because they are less tangible. Because of this, they require more effort.
After I have filled out my "Personal Assessment Worksheet" for each person, I then move onto my "Household Needs Chart."
This chart is simple and goes together pretty quickly since I have my other list to reference. I write out the most important physical and emotional needs of each person.
When we spend time clarifying and prioritizing our families' needs, we can meet them with calculated, focused strokes. Never wasting any of our energy to "flail about in the water." But instead making sure every action we take counts and benefits those around us.