ISFJ - Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging

"On My Duty, On My Honor"

I am loyal, devoted, compassionate and perceptive about how other people feel. I am conscientious and responsible and enjoy being needed.

I am down-to-earth and realistic and prefer others who are quiet and unassuming. I absorb and enjoy using a large number of facts. With great memory for details, I am patient with the follow-through phase of tasks. I like things to be clearly and explicitly stated.

Because I have a strong work ethic, I accept responsibility for things that need to be done, if I can see that my actions will actually help. I am painstakingly accurate and systematic in handling tasks. I tend to be conservative with traditional values. I use practical judgment in making decisions and lend stability through my excellent common sense perspective.

Quiet and modest, I am serious and hardworking. I am gentle, sympathetic, tactful and supportive of friends and colleagues. I tend to care for others and prefer to help in practical and tangible ways. I use personal warmth to communicate and relate well to people in need. I tend not to show my private feelings, but have an intensely personal reaction to most situations and events. I am protective and devoted to my friends, am service-minded, and committed to meeting my obligations.

Possible Blind Spots

Because I live so completely in the present, I have trouble seeing events in global terms or anticipating the possible outcomes of a situation, especially when it is unfamiliar. I need help looking beyond the moment and imagining what might or could be if things were done differently.

I can become mired in the daily grind and the unending work around me, both my own and others’ for whom I feel responsible. I can easily become overworked, doing everything myself to be sure that tasks are completed meticulously. Because I am not naturally assertive or tough-minded, I risk being taken advantage of. I need to express my frequently bottled-up feelings of resentment so I don’t find myself in the rescuing role. I also need to let other people know my needs and my accomplishments.

I often need extra time to master technical subjects. I tend to plan excessively and need to develop strategies that will help me refocus the energy I often expend worrying. I need to find ways of getting the much needed enjoyment and relaxation I deserve.

The 3 Most Important Things For Me To Focus On

Learn to speak up

Consider possibilities that don't already exist

Work at being more flexible and spontaneous

My Strengths

Great depth of focus and concentration
Strong work ethic; I’m responsible and hardworking
Good cooperation skills; I create harmonious relationships with others
Very practical and realistic attitude
Accuracy with facts and attention to details
Love of being in service to others; I am supportive of co-workers and subordinates
Strength at maintaining organization’s traditions and keeping track of its history
Strong organizational skills
Loyalty and comfort working within a traditional structure
Excellence at managing sequential, repeated procedures or tasks
Strong sense of responsibility; I can be counted on to do what I say

My Weaknesses

Tendency to underestimate my own value; I may not be assertive about my own needs
Reluctance to embrace new and untested ideas
Sensitivity to criticism; I feel stressed by tension-filled work situations
Desire to focus on details and the present rather than implications and the future
Tendency to take on too much
Difficulty adapting or switching gears quickly
Tendency to be overwhelmed by too many projects or tasks at the same time
Propensity to become discouraged if I no longer feel needed or appreciated
Difficulty changing my mind or position once a decision has been made

Don't be limited to opportunities that are evidently presently

Look beyond what I have already done to what I might like to do. Generate a list of ideas even including those that I think are impractical. Find out more about all of them before eliminating any.
Focus on the future and try to imagine the possible implications of my actions down the road. Once I look past the material pleasures I aim for, I may see how something that looks good on the surface (or at the moment) ma ultimately be unsatisfying in the long run.

Invest the time developing a long-range plan

Curb my impulse to dive right into what may turn out to be the wrong direction for me. Spending the time carefully thinking about what is important to me and what my real motivations and wishes are will help me focus my energy and avoid dead-end activities.
Develop a list of criteria for satisfaction and then set some long and short-term goals. This will provide me with a yardstick against which to measure options realistically.

Work on developing better follow-through

Resist the urge to deal only with immediate problems instead of with the less exciting but still important follow-through necessary to conduct a through job.
Prepare myself for new activities by learning as much as I can about them first.

Avoid being perceived as unreliable or unpredictable

Go the extra mile in all cases, even it I don’t think you’ll pursue a particular option. Demonstrate my dependability by keeping all appointments, arriving on time or early and calling back when I way I will
Remember that many people respect the standard way of doing things within organizations. Don’t run the risk of offending someone because of natural distaste for following the rules.

Concentration on communicating serious interest

My easygoing and relaxed attitude can be charming and infectious. It can, however, also communicate a lack of seriousness to others.
Be careful not to be blunt or insensitive to the feelings of others. Tune in to the reactions of others and perhaps tone down my assertiveness so I don’t offend others.

To learn more about your personality type, purchase the book, "DO WHAT YOU ARE" by Barbara Barron-Tieger & Paul Tieger