Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

I am a bit surprised that I had a ch-ch-ch-change in my result! I took this test back in January and my result was The Entertainer. Out of curiosity, I proceeded to take the test a couple more times over several days to confirm it and got the same result each and every time with very minor shifts in the percentages.

I'm taking the change as a sign of personal growth and the likely impact of Dr. Reina's leadership course that I'm wrapping up this week. It's focus on mindfulness really had me looking inward a great deal. TBH, I think I'm the most disappointed that I'm losing my sassy, little dancing avatar!



This time around, my results showed that I am now a Campaigner.  Although I don't believe there's really a significant shift in my values, I love the brief description of the ENFP-T type shown below. It absolutely sums up my life over the last 12 months - teacher, student, parent, wife, party planning business owner, etc. etc. etc. 

The most frequent comment I've received from friends and family this year was "how on earth do you do it all" and I always think "how could I NOT do it all?" I love ALL THE THINGS and want to know about EVERYTHING. This aspect of my personality certainly plays into my issue with commitment that I addressed in the post on fear. How could I possibly ever dedicate myself to just one "thing" when there are so many amazing "things" out there?



Beyond all of that, the information I found most useful in the context of entrepreneurship was the discussion of my strengths and weaknesses. I found it to be fabulous validation of the things I believe I do well and a gentle reminder on the areas where I struggle.
  • Practical Skills - I do in fact like to lead but absolutely loathe administrative tasks. For example, I love to teach - sharing ideas and engaging students is incredibly energizing - but I hate the despicable task of grading and logging student progress. I do it because I know it's a necessity (and it's required of me) but it's truly a painful process. 
  • Communication - I am an enthusiastic communicator and tend to get more energetic and jazzed as I go. I have been accused of being filterless though, as I prefer to share openly and to be my most authentic self. I've got to remember my audience each and every day.
  • Focus - I struggle with focus on a daily basis. This does not mean that I don't get things done but it does mean that when I know I need to write a blog post for class, I choose to work on something else of similar size and weight. I've been known to deep clean my kid's room when I should be working on a client proposal. It's literally a running joke in my house and it's also the reason I tend to bake cookies during the last week of classes...anyone remember my chocolate chip cookies with bacon salt? 
Again, none of this is new to me but I do appreciate the shift because I think it highlights some work I've been doing personally. I have found a lot of value in applying mindfulness strategies to my life and work and this serves as confirmation that I should continue its practice. 


Comments

  1. Mary-ChrisJune 26, 2019 at 12:12 PM

    Interesting insights about the change in your results. I love that you tried several times to see if you got the same result. I do think that enviornmental things can affect these types of tests (like your leadership course). I think I remember hearing that sometimes whether you take a personality profile at home or at work can affect the outcome of it. Definitely facinating.
    To you point on "focus" - I actually have a friend who has named that "procrasti-baking." Give me a deadline, and I'll have to fight the urge to make banana bread (or cook some VERY eleborate thing I don't have time for).

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  2. Alan Ireland (Vollmer)July 11, 2019 at 5:07 PM

    Oh man, the focus is hard. I've been working 8-hour days for weeks now, and it is starting to drag on me. I find longer and longer periods of the day when I struggle to concentrate. I could go on and on about ADHD and all that, but the truth is that I have learned to cope. I use music. I sit down somewhere new. I change the scenery. I often clean the room in which I'm working. That one gets bad sometimes. Spending an hour cleaning and then 30 minutes working, only to get distracted again. It's a constant struggle.

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