On Personality
I am discovering, I think, that I might be a Type A person.
Type A, from what I understand, likes to get things done, likes to be prepared, likes to feel in control. This can be good, and this can be bad. Good: planning for retirement, being an effective employee, staying on top of responsibilities. Bad: worrying about a health problem I do not have, impatience with people and circumstances… essentially, wanting life to fit in neat, understandable little boxes that make sense to me or, better, that I arranged myself.
Just when I think I know what the Uncontrolled Event in my life for the moment is, another one comes along. I’m all fretting about a problem at work and how I can fix it and why this is in my control, when, out of nowhere, my friend has a crisis that threatens to undo her. And, before I can wrap my mind around how to help her, I have a doctor’s appointment to prepare for–what to ask? what to remember? And then my brother’s returning from his first business trip and I’m about to leave for the weekend and I haven’t balanced my checkbook in over a week and Congress just passed the bailout–is it better? what does it mean?
Although it goes against my nature, I am learning to not know the answers to questions, to not know what will happen tomorrow, to accept that I am not in control.
I am learning, for example, to just do one thing–post a blog entry. To remember the beauty of fall, to reduce my concerns to trivialities, to count my blessings.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
OH ME TOO ME TOO!! Type A, from your description, totally sounds like me. The unfulfillable need to be in control of everything makes me crazy with worry, but I’m trying to keep a gratitude journal. Let’s try to relinquish our need for control and relax and enjoy more, more often!
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:14 am
lol…I think a lot of PF bloggers could be classified under that category. I feel the same way. It comes and goes though. Some days I need to have my days planned from the minute I wake up until I go to bed (following that plan is a different story). Then some other days I remember its OK if I DON’T have everything planned. My boyfriend definitely isn’t a planner, so for both his and my sanity I try to keep a balance.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Glad I’m not alone, guys! Gratefulness is key for me, so true, jadefly. And, QL, I love people who aren’t planners (most of the time)!
There’s something so wonderfully calming about not worrying about stuff, or watching someone not worrying about stuff.
October 5th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
[...] On Personality at This Writer’s Wallet [...]
November 9th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Have you ever done a Myers Briggs personality type indicator?
About uncontrolled events and frictive loss of time and energy, you might enjoy poking around at some GTD (getting things done) blogs. I’ve got a few days off and right now, I’m playing with setting up a personal GTDwiki…more to learn about wikis than out of any plan to use it for GTD. Whee!)