reformer

Your passion is to make the world a better place.

reformer

As a reformer, your passion is to make the world a better place. You are driven by a sense of integrity and justice. You see what is possible and love bringing it to life. You seek perfection. 

 

You are an inspiring leader because you believe wholeheartedly in your convictions. You lead reform movements by tapping into your ability to help others visualize a better world that you know to be possible.

 

You have a deep desire to do the right thing and to feel useful and valuable by creating goodness, balance, and acceptance. You are disciplined, responsible, and can be a good partner and provider. Your integrity and moral standards are high and can elevate those around you. Your strong moral compass guides you to be very disciplined and exhibit admirable self-control. 

Your Core Beliefs:

As a reformer, you believe that there is always room for improvement. You are an idealist whose passion is to make things “perfect.”  You find that nothing is ever as good as it could be, not even yourself. This can be an attribute that inspires a growth mindset and a desire to learn, or it can create an inner critic that beats you up for never being enough. You have a keen eye for flaws and inconsistencies in yourself and others. This prompts your desire to make things better and lead improvement efforts. 

 

You fear failure, corruption and being flawed. Fear is a healthy emotion that alerts us when it is time to get prepared. Fear alerts us to the fact that something needs assessing.  When you live in the space of fear it can become paralyzing and confusing. The feelings of anxiety and overwhelm can present themselves as guarded and tense. The opportunity is to embrace the fear as your friend. Shift the shallow breath to a deep breath and ask yourself, “Is this fear justified?” If so, “What do you need to prepare for?” It is also an opportunity to shift your story. Are you telling the story of growth vs failure, integrity vs corruption, or flawed vs perfectly imperfect? 

Invitation:

So, before you read the shadow side, I invite you to see this as an opportunity for growth. Feedback is often not your friend as your inner critic can twist it into something that is wrong or flawed. Your intentions are pure, yet they can create discord in your collaboration. 

 

When the reformer is not serving you to be your best, the perfectionist critic within you limits self-success and the success of others. While attempting to maintain high standards, your inner perfectionist can take over and be a burden to those at the receiving end of your judgement. As someone who wants the best for everyone around you, this was never your intent. 

 

Your admirable quality of following the rules and adhering to high standards can sometimes feel rigid and closed-minded to those around you. You do not intend any malice when you become overly critical, but this type of feedback can result in those around you becoming defensive of themselves or their work. Being mindful of the way you help others identify shortcomings can help others accept your valuable guidance rather than closing themselves off from it. 

 

Your passionate nature can bring conflict into your world, as you feel it is your responsibility to make things right and you stand strong in your commitment to make others see things your way. Your morals are consistent and unyielding, which is admirable, but sometimes your need to be “right” can make others “wrong,” and nobody enjoys being told that they are wrong.

Things are not always easy for the reformer. Your dedication to perfection in all that you do is commendable, but it can be exhausting and paralyzing at times. Your quest to make the world a better place for everyone makes relaxation difficult, decreases spontaneity, and limits your ability to enjoy simple pleasures. You are hard on yourself, often suppressing your own needs and desires if they are not “good.” You often feel guilty about your own feelings and actions if you judge them as being wrong. 

Reformers make good superheroes, law enforcers, judges, teachers, or preachers.

Examples

  • Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

  • Lady Isobel Crawley in Downton Abbey

Life’s Lesson Questions:

  • Is it good enough to advance the movement forward?
  • Is it good enough so others can be a part of advancing it?
  • Is it good enough to move forward and refine later?
  • Is it good enough to launch and walk away?