this part of my infp-t personality guidebook from 16personalities is EXACTLY what I've been struggling with keeping up with these blog posts: (perhaps in conjuction with dyspraxia as well..)
One of the difficulties Mediators find with self-evolution is that their ideals are so utopian that it would be impossible to match them in real life. Excessively high expectations can become discouraging when trying to make those expectations happen. To make things more difficult,
Mediators’ thoughts resemble a web rather than a straight line: One notion veers off to three others, which veers off to nine more. It can be intimidating to untangle all those thoughts into something resembling a goal. It can be daunting to even find a starting place, much less a successful conclusion.
The unbalanced response to Mediators’ gloriously tangled webs and lofty ideals is to treat them as ends in themselves. Trying to sort disparate strands into action plans often leads to frustration and can eventually result in a loss of confidence. Eventually, those who haven’t found a way to pull all their thoughts into some reasonable, organized formation may become discouraged. One of their developmental challenges involves acting despite their own disorganization and staying hopeful about progress. For Mediators struggling with this imbalance, negative self-talk is likely to become the prominent voice in their heads.
Mediators’ thoughts resemble a web rather than a straight line: One notion veers off to three others, which veers off to nine more. It can be intimidating to untangle all those thoughts into something resembling a goal. It can be daunting to even find a starting place, much less a successful conclusion.
The unbalanced response to Mediators’ gloriously tangled webs and lofty ideals is to treat them as ends in themselves. Trying to sort disparate strands into action plans often leads to frustration and can eventually result in a loss of confidence. Eventually, those who haven’t found a way to pull all their thoughts into some reasonable, organized formation may become discouraged. One of their developmental challenges involves acting despite their own disorganization and staying hopeful about progress. For Mediators struggling with this imbalance, negative self-talk is likely to become the prominent voice in their heads.
People with the Mediator personality type not only become fascinated by the ideas their imaginations create, and experience awe at the wonders of the world around them. However, indulging their inner poets can entangle Mediators, who may even confuse their focus on beauty and wonder with genuine growth. The steps needed for practical development are unlikely to be found in an unending appreciation for abstract ideas and perpetual awe over the beauty of existence. On a practical level, a dream will never beat a plan.
As Lewis Carroll wrote, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Mesmerized by the intangible and lacking any measurable goals, Mediators may find themselves on a road to nowhere. Life may start to feel empty for them, as they, like everyone else, must exist in a material world where the common measure of success is the practical impact of an individual’s life. Life may be a journey, but if that journey involves only meandering, then serious questions about purpose are likely to arise in the minds of the wanderers.