Here’s a productivity experiment to try: Lift up your phone and talk to yourself as if you’re taking a phone call. Talk about things you need to do. You’ll probably become a Temporary Te-dom (personality type) or at least a more extraverted person, and productivity should become a little easier.

I’ve written a little bit about this before, but this time I thought it deserved its own article.

If you need to do this while around other people, use third-person voice: “She told me she was having a hard time getting started today, so why don’t you have her fill out her journaling template when she gets back home, and see if that gives her some momentum?” See? That’s you talking about you.

This is an extraverted method, so it can be kind of hard to use when you’re locked up in The Silence due to information overload or other circumstances which cause a thick introversion to encroach like a fog. For this reason I like to pair it with a simple walk or a drive in the car. Some excuse to engage the senses in an extraverted manner. Seclusion is not always the INTJ’s friend, not by a long shot.

Thank goodness the appearance of talking to oneself is becoming so common these days. :-)

By the way, one thing I never expected as a coach is that a lot of people readily admit they get GREAT results from talking to themselves, but are afraid to continue the practice. They worry that A) it will make them crazy, or that B) it means they are crazy.

If you think you are experiencing concerning psychological problems, IMO it’s best to seek professional help, rather than discontinuing a helpful practice AND doing nothing to address the psychological issue that made you uncomfortable in the first place!

Filed in: Therapeutic Practice /144/ | Productivity /119/ | Thinking /70/ | Te /36/ | Control /110/