The Law of Time, represented by the circle. All creations will happen within cyclical time. When a creation is made well, following all the steps on the Enneagram, it will cycle and recycle over and over again, without breakage or failure. 

For example: If you nail your book-writing formula, your book-writing Enneagram, you can use the same formula over and over. 

The problem is, it could take you years of trial and error to figure out what your book-writing formula is. Additionally, if you miss a step, you will need a new formula every time. If you take an extra step, you’re simply delaying your results while you do unnecessary activities that you erroneously believe contribute to your results. This can not only be a waste of time, but detrimental to strategic action over time. 

This would be like a football player believing the touchdown victory dance is a prayer to the touchdown Gods that ensures the next play’s success. They spend a lot of private time perfecting the original touchdown dance. When they don’t score a touchdown, they assume that they didn’t do the dance perfectly, and so they practice dancing more, instead of playing better.

Or, to use a book writing example, a famous writer wrote his first book at 5AM, after a cup of coffee with Bailey’s Irish Cream in it. When that book was completed, he credited it to the Bailey’s in the coffee, not the consistency of the practice. 

Now, he starts every day with alcohol because “that’s how he writes books”. He hasn’t completed a manuscript in some time.

Differentiating extraneous activities from right action is essential to growth. 

The real Enneagram acts as a filter for extraneous activities, as well as a funnel for correct action. 

If it doesn’t fit within the context of the enneagram, it’s not necessary.

If you fail to provide action at even one point of the enneagram, you are missing a necessary component for creation.