I have come to realize how caught up in the motions one can be during their college years. With assignments and projects being thrown your way one after another, the task at hand is to get it done as soon as possible, whatever it takes. Once I began working in a more structured work environment, it became more important to understand the way that I think and the reason I put emphasis on certain concepts.

I am convinced that the definition of procrastination should read “caused by a rapid influx of projects to complete when one has no desire to complete them; often encountered in college”. Once you realize that ten page paper is due in two days, the ideal process is often forgotten and it becomes a race to get it done in the least amount of time possible. When we begin working like this, we often may lose the ability to put forth our best work because we have lost so much time. This of course hurts our productivity and efficiency.

What I have learned through working in a structured work environment is that it is increasingly important to understand the way you think and your own personal process. Over the past six months, I have taken both the Myers-Briggs personality test and the DISC analysis twice (my results did not change). Taking these tests has helped me tremendously in understanding my own personal process, which as a result has helped my time management and overall productivity in my work.

I find myself to be a bit of a perfectionist; everything could have always been a little better. Procrastination is no excuse for me to produce poor work, it is only a mistake that is detrimental to any time management effort I may have put forth in the first place. My Myers-Briggs personality type is ESFJ-A. Understanding this has helped me a lot when observing roles that I take on both in campus organizations and in jobs or internships. I work best with structure and guidelines and I like to always be busy. I have a lot of confidence in my time management and organizational skills, so having a lot on my plate isn’t as stressful as it may be for others.

The DISC assessment has helped me to understand the most effective way to communicate with others, as well as my process in completing projects. I am a “C” person by DISC assessment standards, which means I am task-oriented, cautious and careful. I find myself proofreading or editing something so many times that I don’t even see mistakes anymore, if there are any. I am very precise and particular, and I have to understand the “why” of everything. This can be really difficult when trying to complete certain projects because I have to understand why everything happens, which can take a lot of time and analysis. If I don’t understand one piece, I can’t write about it or explain it effectively.

Understanding these different concepts has helped me to feel more confident in my process, and it is important to feel confident when experiencing new things. I have also come to accept that it is okay to need to analyze some things more than others, and that understanding the “why” of everything is never a bad thing. I would encourage anyone that hasn’t taken either of these tests to take them to help develop a better understanding of your personal process!

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