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I’m a slacker.

But that’s okay because you’re a slacker too.

I didn’t really just call you a slacker, did I? Yes, actually I did.

And here is why: you have things that you say you want to do, but you are not doing them. For reasons both known and unknown, you keep putting it off or finding other things that need to be done first or “forgetting” about it for months at a time.

How do I know this? Because you are human. And so am I…

  • I want to be a better blogger, but somehow I haven’t written a blog post since September 27th. (umm… hello? It’s December 9th. What the heck?)
  • I wanted to run a half marathon in December (a goal I set back in September), but I haven’t trained much at all.
  • I want to write a book, and even committed to writing a book proposal by the end of the year, but I somehow keep “forgetting” about it. (And again: it’s December 9th. Dude, what the heck?)

(there are way more things I want to do that I have not been doing, but I think you get the point.)

So, slacker, what do we do now?

It’s really simple (though not always easy)…

  1. Look at your list again and cross off the things that aren’t really that important (right now).
  2. Make time for what’s left.

As for me,…
I am regrouping and making time to write on my blog.
I won’t be running a half marathon in December. I may pick one in the spring to train for though.
I probably won’t make my end of year deadline with a full book proposal, but I am making time to get started.

What are you re-committing to?

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confession: i’m shy

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(remember Square Pegs?)

Square Peg, Round Hole

As a kid, I always felt like a square peg being forced into a round hole.

You need to smile more.
Why are you so shy?
Speak up.

Everyone else seemed to make friends easily, had no trouble making small talk, and generally seemed more outgoing than me.

Please Understand Me

Then one day in my twenties, my cousin gave me the book Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey.

That book changed my life.

Not only did I learn about my own personality type (INFP), but I began to understand how the differences in temperament can lead to that square peg feeling.

That book ignited what has become a lifelong passion for understanding people and relationships.

It was also my first real introduction to Introversion and Extroversion.

E – I? E -I? ooohhh…

Since first reading David Keirsey’s book, I’ve read many more on personality types, introversion, and sensitivity.

Most recently I listened to the audio version of Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.

This is one of the best books I’ve read on introverts and why everyone else seems to be soooo extroverted.

She does a beautiful job of tracing the shift (in the U.S.) from valuing “the thinking man” to valuing “the man of action” and the impact it’s had on our society, as well as what the real differences are between how extroverts and introverts communicate (and why we sometimes get so frustrated with one another).

Her book has also helped me let go of those lingering shoulds telling me I should be anything other than what I am: introverted.

I’m not shy, I’m just quiet

I’ve learned that the shy label is tossed around too freely. Just because I’m not the most talkative person in the room doesn’t mean I’m afraid to talk to you.

It just means I’m waiting my turn. Or maybe the topic isn’t that engaging to me. Or maybe I’m happy just listening right now.

Being quiet is a powerful thing.

I’m owning this power I have. And I’m not going to apologize for being exactly who I am, and I won’t expect myself to be like anyone else even if they seem to have it all together and lots of friends.

Don’t compare your insides with other people’s outsides.

What is one gift you’ve been treating as a weakness? Are you ready to claim that power back?

Susan Cain’s Ted Talk: The Power of Introverts

P.S. If you’re curious about your own personality type, you can take a Myers-Briggs / Jungian based test here. Or if you want to know where you fall on the introvert–>extrovert scale, Susan Cain has a quiz for that here.

P.P.S. I’m a total geek about this stuff so would LOVE to know what your personality type is, whether you’re an introvert or extrovert and how that impacts your experience of life, and all that. If you’re inclined to share, please do share in the comments or send me an email.

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confession: i don’t know what I’m doing

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Photo Credit: aftab via Flickr.

I’ve spent the last couple of months getting myself & my business together.

I worked on my Right-Brain Business Plan.
I cleared out my Inbox.
I cleaned up my office.
I created my own getting stuff done system (to organize my ToDo list & actually get stuff done).
I set business goals, priorities, and milestones.
I figured out my High Value Activities and Core Business Activities.
I created spreadsheets to track money, metrics, and other fun stuff like that.
I have read, listened to, and watched lots of experts talk about getting your business off the ground.

And then I put myself on an information diet so that I could take some action.

I’ve got everything pointing in the right direction and all my ducks in a row.

And yet I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing.

Continue reading “confession: i don’t know what I’m doing”