The development of personality occurs in phases throughout life. For someone who is young, the main task is to develop use of their preferred mental functions. As one matures, however, and approaches midlife, there is often a need to develop greater comfort with using your non-preferences. This can help you increase your performance at work, and increase your ability to deal with different people and circumstances.
As with all types, an ISTJ can achieve personal growth by developing those functions that are not fully developed, through actions such as developing a long term vision, or changing things on an experimental basis to see if you can be improved. You may also need to articulate your own views more, whilst avoiding too much detail and taking more account of how people will feel. It is the issue of change that perhaps presents the greatest challenge, however, as you need to find the right balance between preserving what works whilst being open to experimental new ideas where some will fail but others will reveal better ways of doing things.
A common theme of development for all types after midlife is individuation. This involves learning to value and develop various "opposites", not just the opposite typological preferences. Through reconciling opposites, your personality becomes more individual and unique, and your personality type may change. You might also reach the stage where your closest personality type is no longer a description of you, but it is merely a part of your personal history.
Next: ISTJ and Stress
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