I fit the typical Type A personality to a T. According to The Huffington Post, Type A people are “driven, anxiety-prone go-getters.” That’s me. I thrive when there is too much on my plate and under stressful situations. Competition excites me versus scares me. It may seem counterintuitive, but I am more productive when I have too much to do and no free time than having little to do with lots of free time.
As a college student, I feel like I have a distinct advantage being a Type A. I can juggle 17 credits, playing a division I sport, babysitting, volunteering, and having time for some social engagements. The more I juggle, the more I thrive. Stress is a motivator for me. This means that I can take full advantage of all that college has to offer me.
Many college students are just like me. My fellow Type A’s can be found typing away on their laptops as they all take too much on for themselves. We all can be found with coffee in our hands and work in our laps as all of us try to get ahead. Since we are all so driven and competitive, each and every one of us is trying to gain an edge, an advantage over all others.
Often Type A’s work hard to do well in life, to make something of our lives in the world and to make a difference. Though sometimes we work so hard to get somewhere, we barely notice where we are in the moment. We all forget to stop and smell the roses. We work so hard to make it through the day, the week, the month that a year passes in front of us without even noticing. We are dying to get ahead, and so we forget to live.
So I ask my Type A friends to close the laptop for a moment. To simply sit and enjoy the sunshine. Just because we can balance all things at once does not mean we should. Personally, I have the bad habit of feeling guilty when I do not use time productively, but sometimes using time unwisely is needed more than being useful. I, and most Type A’s, need to remember that balance does not mean balancing everything, but having a balance between everything and nothing.
It’s okay to have lazy days. It’s okay to not do work sometimes. It’s okay to not always be a go-getter. Maybe if we all relax a little more, we’ll all be a little less anxious and a little less competitive over things that don’t matter. Despite being able to work well under stressful conditions, we don’t always need to be in stressful environments. Who knows, we could all be a little happier. And isn’t that really the point? Not to always get ahead and be the best, but ultimately, just to be happy?
