Be Honest
If you are going to go to the trouble of searching out and taking a personality or interest test, make it worth your time and effort by answering the questions honestly. If the quiz asks,

“When someone makes you angry do you...

(a) smile and don’t let it bother you

(b) feel hurt but hide it

(c) feel deeply hurt, express it, but then forgive

(d) throw the toaster at them?

If you throw toasters, don’t pretend like you smile and move on, especially when there are dents in your wall from the toasters. You may not like what you have to admit about yourself, but admitting that there are flaws in your personality is the first step to making changes.

Ask Others
If you really want to know how others perceive you, ask them. Solicit a friend or family member (or two) who know you well and ask them to evaluate you. Don’t put any pressure on them to give answers that will make you feel good. If you want an honest response you have to be willing to hear things that you may not like. Friends may also point out positive aspects of your personality you might not have recognized.

Experiment
My closet is a treasure chest of half-completed craft projects. Sure, I’ve invested some time and money into activities that haven’t produced any obvious reward, but I’ve learned some things about myself that make the investment worthwhile. For example, I recently discovered that I have a talent for, and I enjoy, crocheting borders on baby blankets and burp cloths. I discovered this while I was browsing around a craft store, looking for something new to try. Recently I also learned that I don’t like to cross stitch. I wish I did because I’ve seen some impressive cross stitches, but, try as I might, I just don’t enjoy it. Learn to try different activities to discover your interests and talents.

Trust Yourself
The first career assessment test I took in high school came back with surprising results—I was perfectly suited for a career in sanitation inspection and control. I could have accepted my lifelong fate as trash collector, but, knowing how I hate to even touch the garbage can, I determined that I knew more about my interests and abilities than any assessment test. I came to Brigham Young University, tried several majors, and finally settled on a career after taking a summer job with Conferences and Workshops. It was a surprise, really, when I discovered that I not only enjoyed conference planning, but I was really good at it. I’m sure that I could have been successful in many professional fields, but I am glad that I took some time finding out what really made me happy before I settled on one.

Identifying your usual personality type or interests does not mean that you can’t change your mind. It is okay to order French fries with your hamburger on Monday, mashed potatoes on Tuesday, and a baked potato on Wednesday. Feel free to find the things that feel right to you, even when they change daily. Dr. Seuss wrote a children’s book call My Many Colored Days, which uses clever rhyme and colors to identify emotions.

“Some days are yellow. Some are blue. On different days I’m different too. You’d be surprised how many ways I change on different colored days.”

He then describes emotions on the “different colored days.”

For example: “On bright blue days how good it feels to be a horse and kick my heels! Some days, or course, are sort of brown. Then I feel slow and low, low down. Then all of a sudden I’m a circus seal! On my orange days that’s how I feel. Then come my black days. Mad. And loud. I howl. I growl at every cloud. Then comes a mixed-up day. And wham! I don’t know who or what I am!”

The point is, of course, that one person can be a wide range of emotions and have a wide range of interests. Just because I am usually energetic doesn’t mean that it is bad for me to have days where I just want to stay home in bed and not talk to anyone. Don’t type-cast yourself into one set of hobbies or one type of personality.

Only one person can tell you what makes you happy, and that person is you. It’s hard to do something that other people don’t understand or see the value in. Try not to let others influence your hobbies. So what if your children think it is a little embarrassing that you spend time every afternoon flying your kite, wearing your bright yellow and orange sundress, whistling “Hi ho, Hi Ho.” You know that spending time singing your favorite song; wearing your favorite carnival colors and flying your homemade kite give you the energy you need to help them discover personal interests.