Knowing Your Strengths and Weakness + MBTI Excitement!

On Wednesday we did a great exercise where we looked inward and identified what will make us great peer mentors but also some things that we want to improve on. I really like doing these types of activities, especially in the context of a class. For most of our school courses we walk in knowing what we want to learn (or what we're required to learn!) but for a leadership course there is such a broad focus: To be better leaders for the Hixson Program. I love this course because its not like Calculus or English; This course is not to just learn skills but to grow as a person. There's nothing better then being able to identify what you think you need to improve on to be successful and finding a goal for yourself and having a place to really sink your teeth in to do it.
Next week we're doing MBTI and I'm really excited! I love listening to Debra talk about personality types because every time I learn more about myself and what I can do to be more successful. I wish I had paid more attention to it when I was a freshman because I changed a lot of how I do things last year and its helped me a lot because I took the time to really reflect on it which I unfortunately did not do three years ago.
I think the best thing any leader can do is know where their strengths lay but also their weaknesses. I know a lot of people that are great leaders but have taken on a challenge that end up horribly because they weren't aware of their weaknesses in the context. I'm a person that needs deadlines to get things done (thus why I'm posting this right on the deadline!) and I struggle on projects even when I love what I'm doing when told "Just have it done soon". I try to avoid things like that and if I can't I try to get a deadline out of whomever I'm reporting to. I have to do this at work a lot and I'm pretty sure my boss thinks I'm crazy every time I keep asking when she wants things finalized. It's worth it though!

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest"
-Confucius

Reflection, Leaving It At The Door, and Fish

One of the things that I still haven't mastered in the last year is the concept of 'leaving it at the door'. I consider it one of the best things I aspire to do because I think it does a lot of good to create a really good focus on what is at hand. But I still struggle with it. I consider myself to be a very optimistic person and I don't let a lot of things get to me. This is normally considered a good thing but since I don't have a lot of practice in managing lots of little issues that come up its very hard to leave it at the door when these big problems pop up. I've sat down about five times tonight to write this blog but I keep opening new tabs and Googling solutions to the numerous car problems I discovered tonight. I'll probably return to that quest when I'm done with this post but right now I'm pledging the next few minutes to this and only this. Little steps lead to great lengths!
We went around and shared what we were most looking forward to this upcoming semester(s) and I'd like to add 'having the opportunity to focus on the smaller details' to my answer. These details are the little things that I neglected when focusing on the big picture last year. Now I have the basics down and its time to focus on learning the little things that will make the student's first semester the best introduction to Iowa State they could receive. Looking back at the fall semester I see a lot of things I could have done better or could have done without in the lessons and a whole lot of moments I could say 'I wish I knew then what I know now'. I think watching FISH! was a great reminder of what we, as peer mentors, can accomplish when adjusting a few small things on how we approach something. I hope that as a returner I can help everyone else master the big picture sooner so they can focus with me. I'm looking forward to the next semester and beyond. I have a really good feeling about it!