Achievers Anonymous

We’ve saved the best for last! In our final episode of season 3, we debrief on all YOUR parenting questions. From dealing with parenting guilt and expectations, managing kids and partners who have very different personalities to you, negotiating identity as a parent to avoiding projecting achievement onto your children, we explore it all. Hope you enjoy and a very special thank you if you’ve been following along our parenting season, this has been an extra special season for us.

We had a life-giving chat with Kylie Butler – Enneagram 3, professional coach, parent of two young adults and CEO of Arrow Leadership Australia. She reflects on how being an Achiever showed up in the different seasons of parenting, and how she uses the Enneagram for growth and transformation. From debriefing on the mental load, parent guilt, the opinions of others and work-life 'balance', this is a multifaceted episode for all Achievers and parents at any life stage!

How do we create a holding environment for our children to flourish, build resilience, and become comfortable with the uncomfortable? We reflect on what it means to be a good enough parent to an Achiever, and how parents can create a safe space that allows their children to feel uncomfortable in this era.

Lets talk about what makes an Enneagram 3 a great parent. We have innate qualities that we can tap into that help us parent! From efficiency ++, instilling a growth mindset, self-care to planning memory making moments, this is a feel good episode for 3 parents.

Today we're making the unconcious conscious, or at least attempting to… as we discuss the pitfalls or watchouts for Achiever parents. From managing our kids' image as an extension of our own, prioritising the 'to-do' list over being present with the kids to bypassing their emotions, there are a few things we can grow in together as Enneagram 3 parents.

We're debriefing on all that’s happened over the last couple of years (for those of you following at home), and we download on what it looks like parenting a newborn with Tabs sharing her live reflections with a three month old and the age-old parenting question - will this ever become rewarding?

In the final episode for Season 2, Tabs and Michelle debrief on where the season has taken them and jump into some of your very smart questions! From exploring FOMO to delving into ‘when is enough enough’, they open up about what they’re learning along the way.

Special episode this week as Michelle chats to Bruce and Ursula (both Enneagram 9s) about what the 3 can learn when we move towards the 9 in health or stress! They explore all the hot topics from being without doing, prioritising relationship over goals and tasks, to being connected to others without losing yourself, there’s lots for us 3s to learn from the Peacemaker 9.

This one is for all our parent friends… and those thinking about starting a family… We discuss the highs and lows of parenting as a 3. Michelle takes us through her parenting journey and how her 3-ness manifests at each stage. Meanwhile, Tabs explores how being an Achiever has informed her view on what it means to family plan. They unpack how parenting can bring more depth and light to our 3-ness, and shape us for the better, if we allow it! And in true Achiever fashion, they chat about how to create some #parentinggoals.

Tabs sits down with the excellent Enneagram coach and The Nine Design podcast host Sarina Sherring (an Enneagram 6) who shares how 3s and 6s are intrinsically connected, how we access Type 6 behaviours and what we can learn from the Type 6. They discuss the behaviours of the 6s in stress like anxious planning and negative thought spirals, and how it plays out for the 3s. And, they explore how 3s tap into the healthy 6 behaviours like asking questions to scenario plan, slowing down to reflect on who you are and sitting with your emotions.

This week, we’re back at it with a conversation about friendship. We explore what 3s desire in a friendship and share the challenges of finding and forming deep relationships as a 3. We question what makes us as 3s good friends and where we might need to work a little harder in being better friends to those around us. This is one worth listening to if you’ve started questioning what friendship truly means to you!

Did you know there are three different ‘versions’ of the Enneagram 3 Achiever?! This follow up conversation with Enneagram coach and practitioner Renate Landman is a fascinating deep dive around the sub types/ instincts. Are you Self Preservation, One-to-One or Social? For instance, you might be like Renate and Michelle who are both Self-Preservation Achievers… they don’t promote themselves that much publicly because they're vain about not being vain. Ouch. Find out what the differences are, why it matters and what to do about it.

We are privileged to speak with Enneagram coach and practitioner Renate Landman about the Type 3. We explore the core fears, the passion and fixation of the 3. Renate shares her wisdom of how we can use the Enneagram to notice the vanity and deceit of the Type 3 and move towards authenticity. This is an episode worth listening to, to truly understand the complexities and depth of the Enneagram and how it relates to us as achievers.

This week, we’re taking a break from the stress talk to have some fun! We look at the superpowers of the 3, and take some time out to recognise the gifts Enneagram 3s can bring into the world. If you’re in need for an ego boost, this one is for you!

“If you’re a 3 sitting down in an office everyday, think about doing something in your body to get out of your head!” We chat to the brilliant Ben Hutton (and also brilliant 3) from Brightside Physio in Newcastle, Australia, about how stress manifests in our bodies as 3s. This conversation was packed with loads of mind body connection insights, from why 3s can be postured towards anxiety to the “in body” habits we can embrace to tune back into ourselves! Also, listen out for probably the best guest welcome Tabs has ever done.

This week, we delve deeper into stress by exploring inner stress and the fears and insecurities that sit underneath. We look at the life and identity questions that 'trigger' us as 3s and keep us up at night! Michelle and Tabs share their insights and personal experience on the matter, and discuss some ideas and habits to address the inner stress.

We're bacccck! And we're talking all things stress for the next few episodes. This week, we discuss what happens when things don't go to plan! We'll cover external stressors and how they play out in the lives of 3s. You know the ones... overworking, disrupted sleep, uber sensitivity, avoidance... Michelle and Tabs share from their own recent experiences of external stress and look at tips to #addressthestress.

In the final episode of Season 1, Michelle and Tabs mix up the usual episode format to get into what YOU want to know. They go through some of the AA community’s burning questions and share from their own personal experiences and learns. The ladies unpack how success has been role modelled to them, how they manage stress, balance and burnout, and share their tips for working with other Enneagram types and how we can take off the ‘mask’ and move into authenticity. Listen to the end of the episode for their perspective on the Enneagram and how 3s can continue to engage with their ‘Achiever-ness’ in a healthy way PLUS a couple of teasers for Season 2… yup, looks like there will be one after all 😉 We hope you enjoy x

We chat to podcast host, writer and speaker Seth Emery about the spiritual wisdom he has gleaned from the Enneagram and how its helped him to understand his Christian faith, values and identity in a new way. He unpacks how his ability to adapt as an Enneagram 3 impacted his sense of self, growing up in Papua New Guinea, and how cultural ideas of competition and making money has played out in his life. Seth shares his tips for wrestling with your ‘3-ness’ and the lessons he’s learnt the hard way. If you want to hear more from Seth, check out his podcast @the_nine_design. **disclaimer: Apologies for the slightly dodgy audio quality and Albie appearance at the start of the ep!

This week, Michelle and Tabs take Melania Trump’s lead to offer their perspective on ‘Be Best’. The ladies explore the intrinsic motivation for Enneagram 3s to wrap their identity and image in being the best, and how this serves and hinders them. Sharing from personal experience, they cover the common traps when it comes to ‘being the best’ and encourage each other to journey towards progress, not perfection. Enjoy, be best and be well.