A quiz to figure out your strengths
Oh, hi friends!
Process and progress. It's hard to remember just how intertwined they are. “Why hasn’t X happened yet?” is easy to say, yet harder to justify if your process is, well, a hot mess. That’s why it might be helpful to think of larger projects like you’re doing a PhD. Instead of sprinting, you’re running a marathon.
This idea came up when I interviewed Heather Knight, a social roboticist who builds robots to better interact with humans. (I know, right??) She had this to say:
“One thing I learned in my PhD program is that progress is not about any one day. It’s really important to think in a weeklong or a monthlong scale when you’re doing creative endeavors. It’s like nutrition. Even if you have two ice creams in one day, that doesn’t mean you’re going to have high cholesterol.
It’s about trying to be kind to yourself and finding time. It’s great to try and do your work every day, but ultimately, as long as at the end of the week or the end of the month the work is happening, then you’re going to have progress.
Little commitments matter. Everyone can pull an all-nighter as an undergrad, but if you want to succeed in life, you have to figure out how to not just do all-nighters, but to do the sustained boring work every day or every week. That’s how the turtle beats the hare.” (more advice in my story on Magenta)
Sooo, I’m going to let myself think like a turtle this weekend. And obviously eat some ice cream.
“The critic, the mimic and the clown all have one thing in common. They’re not doing the work.”
By Seth Godin. His newsletter (which he’s been writing for 10 years) is the only thing I read every day.
Quizzes! Quizzes! Quizzes!
If you want to kill some time because it’s Friday and getting to know yourself better is more fun than inbox zeroing, here are good ways to discover your strengths and how you form habits.
Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Quiz
Are you an obliger, upholder, questioner, or rebel? (I'm a questioner!)
StrengthsFinder 2.0
You’ve gotta buy the book—or a digital code—but this is a classic for a reason.
16 Personalities
Myers-Briggs-esque. I especially like the career paths and workplace habits section. Would love to know your type if you take it! (I'm an INFJ!)
Thank you for reading.
Love, Kara