How to Reinvent Yourself for the New School Year

Craving a fresh start? Good news: the new school year is a perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself. We aren’t talking about dyeing your hair blue, debuting a new style, or putting yourself through a full-on glamazon makeover like something out of a ’90s movie – although if that’s your cup of tea, go for it. Instead, this article is going to be all about stepping into new habits, expanding your comfort zone, and challenging your assumptions about yourself.

So if you’re ready for a refresh, here are our top tips for how you can reinvent yourself for the new school year, based on your personality type.

Analysts

Architects (INTJs): Be a Joiner

Ever heard the old Groucho Marx line: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members”? Architects aren’t exactly known for being joiners. If this is your personality type, you probably have an independent streak a mile wide, and you might even find yourself getting impatient in group settings because you feel as if other people are slowing you down.

That said, even the most independent Architects light up around people who share their interests. Joining a club or group of like-minded people might just give you the intellectual spark that you need to carry you into the new school year. Think of it as an experiment – if you don’t enjoy the group activity, you can always back out later.

Logicians (INTPs): Quash Procrastination

Logicians love data, so here’s a fun (or maybe not so fun?) fact for you: Logicians are among the personality types most likely to say they procrastinate until there’s not enough time to do everything.

Fear not: this school year, you can reinvent yourself as a non-procrastinator – or at least less of a procrastinator. The trick is to satisfy your need for variety and options. For example, come up with a list of two or three tasks and give yourself the option of which one you want to work on at the moment. This way, you can put off the task that feels least appealing right now while still getting other important things done. And build an arsenal of different techniques to keep yourself motivated – rewards, timers, and so on – because what works for you one day might not be as effective the next.

Commanders (ENTJs): Become the Host with the Most

Maybe because they’re so driven and ambitious, Commanders have a reputation for being no-nonsense workaholics. But this is far from the whole picture. Commanders most definitely have a social side, too, and they won’t feel truly successful in their lives unless they satisfy their social needs as well as their ambitions.

If this is your personality type, channel your can-do, proactive nature by hosting study groups or other events. You could even get on a planning committee for a school party, fundraiser, or dance. You might just find that this is an unconventional but highly enjoyable way to bring together your leadership skills with your enjoyment of social interaction.

Debaters (ENTPs): Find a Mentor

As a Debater, you probably have about a million different thoughts and ideas running through your head at once. And while your active mind keeps life interesting, it can also leave you feeling a bit…well, all over the place.

This school year, find a mentor – a teacher, community member, or role model – who can help you turn your mental somersaults into a list of clear, invigorating priorities. Chances are you’ll love hearing (and maybe engaging in a bit of healthy debate) about their insights and experiences too.

Diplomats

Advocates (INFJs): Open Up to Someone New

If you’re an Advocate, chances are you have a small, tight-knit inner circle of friends – and that’s wonderful. But, at times, you might feel a bit lonely or wish that you had a more robust social support network. If that’s the case, consider whether you have an acquaintance you’d like to get to know better.

Full disclosure: this will involve putting yourself out there in a way that might not feel totally comfortable. But remember that you don’t need to bare your entire soul right away. You can still take time to make sure that this person is trustworthy before you share anything sensitive. And who knows – a new friend might be exactly what you need to feel reinvigorated for the new school year.

Mediators (INFPs): Go for a Leadership Role

As a Mediator, you might be reluctant to nominate yourself for a leadership role in a school club or organization. The issue isn’t that you don’t want to help out – in fact, people with your personality type generally love to be of help – but rather that you don’t want to go up against someone else who might also want the role.

The bad news? By not putting yourself out there, you’re missing out on an opportunity to get involved, build community, and make a difference in a club or organization that matters to you. So let this be the year that you add your name to the list of interested candidates. Even if you don’t get the role, you’ve put yourself out there, and that’s the only goal here.

Protagonists (ENFJs): Be a Beginner

As someone with the Protagonist personality type, you’re always looking for opportunities to mentor, teach, tutor, and guide others. But here’s a question: When was the last time that you allowed yourself to be a novice?

This school year, reinvent yourself as a beginner in something that you’d like to learn, even – or especially! – if you have no idea whether you’d be good at it. This could be aikido or astrophysics, Cantonese or the cello. Bonus points if you take up something that you think you’re too old to be a beginner in.

Campaigners (ENFPs): Get Super Organized

If you’re a Campaigner, you’ve probably invested in apps and planners and notebooks and colored markers that you were sure would be the secret to getting your life in order. And when those tools didn’t magically transform you, you might have thrown up your hands and assumed that you were doomed to be disorganized forever. But you’re far from doomed – you just need to find strategies and motivations that work for your personality type.

The trick? Turn organization into a social effort. Buddy up with a friend and text each other reminders of deadlines that are approaching. When you’re up against an overwhelming to-do list, talk through it with someone you trust and have them help you come up with two or three small tasks to start with (and write those tasks down!). Let this be the school year where you get organized – and have a good time doing it.

Sentinels

Logisticians (ISTJs): Speak Up

Logisticians take pride in being knowledgeable and capable, but they rarely show off just how knowledgeable and capable they are. This isn’t because they’re trying to hide anything but rather because they’re not necessarily eager to draw attention to themselves – or to speak up before they’re absolutely certain that they have something worth saying.

If this is your personality type, look for ways to share your expertise and abilities this school year. You could become a peer tutor, coach a junior sports team, or simply speak up more during group projects and classroom discussions. You might be surprised by just how much the people around you benefit from the things that you already know and understand.

Defenders (ISFJs): Say Yes

If you have the Defender personality type, chances are you have a fairly clear sense of what types of activities you do and don’t enjoy. This clarity can keep you from spending time (and money) on new pursuits that might not work out, but at times, it can also limit your options and make your life a bit more restricted than it needs to be.

This school year, practice saying yes to new experiences. You don’t need to go all in and try skydiving – but if your school starts an intramural volleyball team or you get the opportunity to attend an interesting conference or lecture or a friend invites you to a flea market in another town, try it out and see what happens. You might just discover something that you love.

Executives (ESTJs): Prioritize Fun

As someone with the Executive personality type, you know how to get things done – an admirable trait for any student. Your friends may marvel at your ability to buckle down, focus, and meet deadlines – or even get your work done well in advance.

But don’t forget to prioritize fun too. Outings, extracurricular activities, and social events can be just as vital to your learning experience as tests and homework. And don’t worry: unlike many other personality types, chances are you’ll never let yourself fall too far behind on your assignments, even if you indulge in plenty of enjoyable, if less obviously productive, activities.

Consuls (ESFJs): Do That One Weird Thing You Love

Consuls have a pretty clear sense of social expectations – in other words, what is acceptable or unacceptable, cool or uncool, polite or impolite. If this is your personality type, you probably know the value of leading with good manners and sticking to social mores, but maybe, just maybe, you wish that you could break out of the box and do your own thing a bit more.

Here’s the good news, dear Consul: it’s possible to be polite and friendly and sociable without being conformist. So this school year, go all in on that one weird thing that you love – whether that’s Lisa Frank stickers all over your school supplies, capture the flag, homemade tie-dye outfits, or French Renaissance poetry. Who knows? You might just inspire the people around you to own their quirks as well.

Explorers

Virtuosos (ISTPs): Take a Bow

If you have the Virtuoso personality type, chances are you already reinvent yourself on a regular basis. When a new interest or impulse strikes you, you aren’t afraid to go all in – and you probably don’t get too caught up in worrying about what anyone else will think.

It’s true that succeeding in school requires persevering through a lot of things that you don’t feel like doing in the moment – such as lectures or homework in subjects that you find boring. At times, you’ll have to put aside your newfound passion projects in order to deal with these things. But don’t underestimate the value of your willingness to reinvent yourself and give your all to new activities and opportunities. In the long run, that might just be the secret to your success.

Adventurers (ISFPs): Put Your Work Out There

Adventurers are among the humblest and most unassuming personality types. They can spend hours on projects – from oil paintings to free-verse poetry – that they show to hardly anyone else.

If this is your personality type, let this be the school year when you share your work with the world. Submit your poetry to your school’s literary journal. Enter your painting in an exhibition. Bring your signature madeleines to the French club bake sale. You might be surprised by just how rewarding it is to have other people see and enjoy your hard work.

Entrepreneurs (ESTPs): Get Enough Sleep

Entrepreneurs are known for being constantly on the go. There’s a big world out there – and people with this personality type want to see and experience it all.

If you have the Entrepreneur personality type, you might be used to burning the candle at both ends and running on adrenaline. But, unfortunately, that isn’t a great way to keep up your energy in the long run. Let this be the school year when you prioritize getting some much-needed sleep, so that you can go about your daily adventures with even more aplomb.

Entertainers (ESFPs): Include Someone New

As someone with the Entertainer personality type, you love sharing experiences with your friends. You’re always at the ready with recommendations for a book that they just have to read, a coffee drink that they need right now, or a park that you simply have to explore together. For you, life is meant to be experienced with other people – and that’s a beautiful thing.

This school year, draw the circle even wider by reaching out beyond your friend group to share these experiences. Break the ice with someone who has just transferred schools, or reach out to someone who seems a bit lonely or excluded. Once you get to know them a little, ask them whether they’d like to join in an activity with you. This might sound overdramatic, but it’s not: the sense of belonging and inclusion that you create might just change that person’s entire school experience for the better.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it: ideas for how you can reinvent yourself for the new school year, no matter what your personality type is. So, readers – what are you planning to do differently this school year? Did any of these ideas resonate with you? Tell us in the comments below!