type A

I’ve only recently looked into this ‘personality types’ thing, even though I’ve heard the term a few times.  I’d been pretty ignorant of what each type actually meant.  I wouldn’t have had a clue which I’d be, put it that way!  Until a few weeks ago I saw a comment on another blogger being a type A personality, looked it up, and realised I am SO type A.

Then I skimmed through a bunch of articles – looking at you, Huffington Post! – and found myself involuntarily nodding in agreement.  Never have I found a better description of my personality before!  Type A is ME.  Well, in most ways.  Pretty much every way.  Nearly.  Evidently apart from the decisive bit, lol.

Time sensitive / time urgency / ‘a serious phobia of wasting time’.  Couldn’t have put it better myself!

Very emotional.  Urm… yes.  I cry at the tiniest thing.  Being angry sets me off and it’s the most frustrating thing EVER.  Anyone else prone to crying when they’re in a foul mood and want to be taken seriously?  I can’t help it.

Sensitive to stress.  Yup!  Sometimes resulting in me letting out a weird growl/scream hybrid, which is kinda weird.

Monica Geller, basically.   I’d say I have elements of Rachel, plus as much ditzy blonde Pheobe-ness as a brunette can possibly get, but yeah, Monica and I would be besties for sure.

That said, I found a few traits I don’t particularly identify with.  I’m not too goal oriented or competitive, and I haven’t a fixed goal or career or anything in mind, as apparently most Type As do.  And I don’t have anxiety, which I’m thankful for.  Neither do I suffer from insomnia – I’m out like a light!  Likely due to my burning the candle at both ends – I’ve rambled on and on about being a morning person many a time before, but I’m kind of a night owl too.

(BTW I started writing this post a few weeks ago immediately after skimreading all those articles, at around 12pm when my fingers were itching to type, so there’s a case in point.  Typing fast is strangely satisfying!  It then sat in my drafts forgotten about for a while, lol. Oops.  Why am I even writing a post about my own personality?  Why am I questioning why I’m writing? *Train of thought goes off on one*)

Anyway, back to the type A thing.  Not being productive stresses me out.  My mum and I were chatting about this kind of thing earlier, and her idea to write everything down that I’d already done today just so that I could tick it off a ‘to-do list’, actually worked.  Gotta play tricks on your mind!  Seeing everything in list form made a difference.  I everythinggg on that list too – even just washing and drying my hair takes at least half an hour (damn you, long hair), and those half hours add up!  I don’t get overly stressed or anxious or anything, I just feel a little antsy sometimes when I feel like I’m wasting time.

Yet another sidenote: my 12pm speed typing frenzy was in the summer holidays, before college restarted and I began juggling 4 A2 levels, 14 hours a week working, travelling to London once a week, running a blog, and (importantly) maintaining a social life.  Lily doesn’t know such thing as wasting time any more!

I imagine lots of bloggers are very Type A – always feeling like there’s something you could do, and therefore total downtime is ‘wrong’.  I’m forever referencing Amber (blog title pun intended) but she honestly hit the nail on the head with her post on the importance of unplugging.  And yes, there’s ‘always another notification on your phone, to tell you about whatever it is that you should be doing’!  Phones really are a blessing and a curse, aren’t they?

So many bloggers (and others) are self-employed, making a living online these days.  Whilst I’d love to create an online business and generate an income online somehow some day, this kind of thing makes me think it’s maybe not quite all it’s cracked up to be.  I’m sure being a full time blogger is fabulous in many ways, but boy must it be stressful!  The pressure to (almost) always be ‘switched on’… wowza.  Maybe with my personality it wouldn’t be the wisest idea to pursue a career that depends solely on ME, because I’d quite honestly NEVER feel like I’d done enough.  Never satisfied!  Always trying to get things done and out of the way, or ready to be done, or planned.  I like plans and I like spontaneity, which is kinda contradictory, but hey ho.  I’ve no idea what I’m even talking about any more so I should probably shut up now.

What I’d love to know is:

Are you a type A or a type B or a hybrid?

Do you think blogging and ‘type A’ go hand in hand, or are they each others’ worst enemy?

lily kate x

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