By the Two Lindas of Personality @LindaGilden @LindaGoldfarb

Have you ever wished there was more peace in your home so you could write? 

The life of a writer can be made easier and relational situations can be dealt with more effectively by understanding the personalities of your family members. It’s good to remember, understanding yourself first is vital in understanding others around you. (see our previous post on Personality and the Writer)

Though writing is considered a lonely experience, seldom are writers alone. Marriage, parenting, and maintaining connections with family are life-long journeys for a writer and understanding why each person does the things he or she does will help home life go more smoothly. To create a home in which your writing thrives, consider connecting with your loved ones as God made them.

The get-it-done, extroverted personality is called the Mobilizer. This personality is your list-maker, matter-of-fact person. For a writer who recognizes as family member as a Mobilizer, consider taking the direct approach when speaking to them. Delivering a specific plan of action to a Mobilizer child, “I’ve set my timer to go off in 30-minutes,” is much more effective than convincing them you’ll be right there as soon as you finish your writing. Creating a weekly checklist of what you want to accomplish for your spouse gives him or her a time reference they can depend on. And, while they visualize completing a task you can write, it’s a win-win.

The Stabilizer word gives you a clue to this personality. This personality is solid, loyal, and can be a rock to others. This personality is easy-going. Their calmness makes him or her steady in stressful situations, although they prefer to avoid conflict and keep things peaceful. Stabilizers are your friends when you try to have a few quiet moments to write. Be sure to thank your Stabilizer for all they do. Ask how their day is going and really listen. Recognizing the efforts of a quiet personality lets them know they are seen and valued.,

The Socializer personality is an easy one to guess, your life-of-the-party person who loves to have a good time. If you have a Socializer family member, remember to include a fun element in their day. For instance, set a timer and challenge your Socializer child to finish their chores before the timer goes off. For your Socializer spouse, the promise of a date night is often good incentive to buy you a few extra writing minutes. Just be sure to follow through with what you promise.

The Organizer personality is your deep thinker. Give him or her a good book and you will be able to write your own next bestseller. One of the biggest characteristics of this personality is the need for rest and separation from crowds to refresh. Sometimes involving your Organizers in your work is a great thing. Writer/Child/Spouse and writing time – another win-win!

Family relationships can be strengthened and grown by an awareness of the differences in the individuals you live with. Just a little personality knowledge will go a long way in helping you create harmony and increase respect in your family. 

Discovering those differences and applying what you’ve learned can receive more effective results in your communication with your family, which in turn will increase valuable writing time. 

The Two Lindas of Personality are the creators of the LINKED Personality System and authors of the LINKED Personality Series as well as speakers, coaches, and personality consultants. Their passion is to help individuals build and grow relationships with others through understanding personalities.