Once you make a decision to do something or change something, what is your natural next step? Do you make a detailed plan, begin to research your options, or, do you jump in and take action?
I am the kind of gal who takes action. I am a deep believer in action as the way to make things happen, to maximize learning, and to reach my potential. Once I get something in my head, it’s impossible for me to NOT take action.
Being someone who learns experientially, through taking action, is something I didn’t always appreciate about myself. It is only in the last two or three years that I have really come to value this about myself.
Why only in the last two or three years?
Well, there are pitfalls to taking immediate action. My process of getting from point a to point b can be (really) messy. If something isn’t working, I’ll scrap it and move in a different direction – sometimes many times over.
I used to worry – a lot – about what people thought of that and wished I could take a more direct route to my destination (meaning, laying out a clear path for myself and then taking it). I dreaded the snide comments and raised eyebrows over my start and stop, reassess, change-directions, style. I thought that there was something really wrong with me for being this way.
However, outside of the messy process, there is a lot to be excited about. I’ve come to love this quality about myself and others I know who are like this.
Celebrate if you are action-focused because:
- You find your limits really quickly (and can work through them) at the same time you are getting things done. Read: two birds, one stone.
- You are always learning new skills from trying new things which makes you an incredibly valuable resource to the people around you.
- You quickly figure out what works and what doesn’t, which refines each subsequent action you take. You stay fresh.
- It’s inspiring to others. When you are learning and accomplishing what you set out to do, you are a beacon of light for others.
All ways of executing on decisions have benefit, and in fact, my husband is a serious planner. He’ll research his options, lay out a path for himself, stick to it, and get to the end result. I admire that tremendously, but I just don’t operate that way. For a few years, this caused tension in our relationship – I felt like I was doing something wrong and would get really defensive about my style.
Once I embraced my action-focus as being the best way for me, I was able to see how each is perfect in it’s own right. I find it fun and exciting to get into my immediate action mode and help my husband and clients figure out next steps and plan out the process.
Having my husband and other planners in my life is great for me, because I will run my action-plan by them and get great feedback before I jump in. My husband, friends, and clients that aren’t jump-in-with-both-feet people find that they move into action more quickly with my encouragement and enthusiasm.
It’s a win all the way around if we can embrace our inherent ways of doing as strengths. Then, it’s possible to leverage these strengths and become more of the person we are meant to be.
If you find that you are hard on yourself about your style, you might consider these resources to start appreciating your unique and special superpowers:
Strengths Finder by Tom Rath
Kolbe Index by Kathy Kolbe
When we can fully step into, and own, our way of doing and being, then we can intentionally leverage our strengths consistently and have an easier relationship with ourselves and our lives.
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Photo courtesy of mcescobar1 via Flickr under a creative commons license.
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This article was very apt, and accurately describes both my (similar to yours) and husband’s (similar to yours!) action styles. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in the world!
Thank you, Nona!