Wikipedia defines having a Type A personality as someone who is “ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status-conscious, sensitive, impatient, takes on more than they can handle, wants other people to get to the point, anxious, proactive, and concerned with time management.” Wikipedia goes on to saying that “people with Type A personalities are often high-achieving "workaholics," that push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.” Now, if you know me personally, I am the poster child of being “Type A.” Through the many years since I’ve taken my first ever personality test, I’ve realized that I love my strong Type A characteristics. But of course, with any love, sometimes the annoying traits overshadow the good. Here’s why I have a love-hate relationship with having a Type A personality:
1. I am a perfectionist.
Love: As a college student, I never turn in any type of homework assignments or essays where I don’t feel like it’s up to par to my standards. I do work really hard to make sure that I’m doing the best that I can do with my schoolwork, along with any other tasks I have taken on.
Hate: I would consider myself a workaholic. Since I am deemed a perfectionist, if I ever finish an assignment early, I will continue to go back to it, edit and re-edit until it supersedes what has been asked of me. Instead of just leaving what I have already finished alone, I work until the last possible moment.
2. I have a phobia of wasting time.
Love: I always get my work done. Since I can’t physically do anything for a whole day without believing that I’ve wasted it, I do get whatever I needed to get done, done. There’s no fear that I’m falling behind or missing something that I should have been doing all along.
Hate: I have a real hard time waiting in line at Starbucks when there are more than five plus people in front of me. I hate waiting in lines, no matter what the scenario, because I could be spending my time doing better things. Also, spending a whole day watching Netflix and napping is a rare occasion for me. Even when I do decide to indulge in a few hours of mindless binge watching, my computer will be in hand, working on some other project. Spending a day relaxing is something that stresses me out, which is hard for people who aren’t Type A to grasp. Speaking of being stressed out …
3. I am always stressed out.
Love: Simply put, I work best under stress. When I am stressed out, I try even harder to complete my tasks, knowing that I do have a time crunch. Being stressed makes me better at time management, so I am less opt to play on my phone mindlessly for hours at a time.
Hate: No one likes being stressed. Breakouts, eating unhealthy, and wanting to nap endlessly accompany unwanted stress. Since I am always stressed out, most of the time it’s for unnecessary reasons, making me question why I’m stressed out in the first place.
4. My To-Do List and Planner act as my lifeline.
Love: I am obsessed with my planner and making to-do lists. You might think I’m crazy, but everything is color-coded depending on classwork, exams and due-dates, sorority events, extracurricular activities, and of course, parties. Personally I believe that there is no better joy in life than crossing tasks one by one off of your to-do list. I love getting stuff done and my planner and endless amount of to-do lists let me achieve this.
Hate: As I’ve just stated, my planner is color-coded. This obviously creates problems when I forget my favorite stash of thin-point markers in any color imaginable. When dashing out the door, sometimes I even forget my planner entirely. And I hate admitting to it, but I am lost without it.
5. I have too many passions.
Love: Being that I have so many interests, I feel like I am always doing something that I love. Whether through the extracurricular activities that I am a part of, my coursework, or the opportunities I choose to participate in. I love being involved and doing whatever I choose to do. Even though I may not know exactly what I want to do after college because of my wide array of passions, I know that it will obviously be something that makes me happy.
Hate: Sometimes I sign up for way too much than I can handle. With so many interests I am always busy with an endless amount of extracurricular activities and projects. Even though I love what I do, sometimes I need a break.
Despite all the hate that Type A personalities may receive, and even our own critiques about oneself, all in all, I do love being Type A.
