The theory that there are two major personality types, type A and type B, is one that has become pretty widely used. While there are other theories in psychology that drill down to more specific details that address how people’s personalities are made up, this is one that is fairly simple to apply, even just knowing someone to a small degree. It is also one where people can usually identify which one is more dominant in themselves straight away, without having to do lengthy tests.

Most people are hybrids of type A and type B, but in the majority of cases, one is more dominant. There are some people who are completely in the type A personality category, of course, but this is far less common than being mostly a type A with a few type B traits.

Motivation
Knowing how the two types work and which one you most identify with can help in a lot of ways, and one area where it can play a big part is in motivation. People who are successful at motivating other people tend to, consciously or subconsciously, use different approaches for different types of people, and type A people respond to different motivators than type B. This is also something you can use when you need to find motivation for yourself, for instance, to complete a project or stick to something like a workout plan.

Motivation and Type A Personalities
Someone with a type A personality is normally very ambitious and thinks a lot about their status. This can tie in to being a more extroverted person, though not all type As are extroverts. When a type A person achieves something, they are usually impatient to get started working towards an even bigger goal, and they sometimes have trouble actually enjoying their success.

If you are a type A and want to feel more motivated, you should find some element of competition to what you are doing. Type A’s thrive on winning. You will also be motivated by thinking big. If you find it hard to think about losing a few pounds and getting fitter, in terms of being motivated, you may do better by setting big impressive goals, like being able to run a marathon.

Motivation and Type B Personalities
Type B personalities are more laid back and tend to be less obsessed with goals and achievements. They can be more patient but are less driven, and so finding ways to motivate yourself can be the only way to really reach your potential if you have this personality type, though you will enjoy the things you achieve and appreciate them as you go.

If you are a type B, you are more motivated by your enjoyment of things. If you want to get fit, rather than setting lofty goals like a type A, you need to find something you have fun doing as a sport. The same goes for your work – you need to focus on the parts of it that you enjoy and what you get out of it, rather than goals and competition.

As you can see, what matters to people varies a lot depending on personality type, so how you motivate yourself is very dependent on this.

Brought to you by our friend, Carol.