Do you color code your notes? Do you create weekly checklists? Do you have all deadlines in a calendar? Do you get frustrated with last minute changes? If you answered yes--to at least three of these questions--you are just like me, an ORGANIZING FREAK.

Sometimes your biggest strengths can be your biggest weaknesses. Even though my organization skills have helped me succeed, they have also thrown some obstacles in my path. Like I mentioned in my POL, I relay too much on plans because I am obsessed with having things under control. I am too STRUCTURED. From the crowdsourcing grades session I received a lot of feedback that made me realize that when I plan intensely--like I always do--I FALL and get ENCAPSULATED in box. When I enter this box I become exorbitantly FIXATED with my plans and with following them. Complications arise when things FAIL or expected situations happen another way, I then become ANXIOUS. Under these rare situations I I tend to mold and channel the situation, so it faultlessly fits my plan, instead of molding and modifying my plan to concur with the situation. My problem is that I get too attached to my plans, and when they don't workout it's hard for me to let them go because this means I am not in control and I have to act instinctively--this scares me. 

So I want to EMBRACE this weakness and endeavour this challenge--I want to leave the box-- so that I stop beign squared and structured because this makes me |CONCEALED|. However, this doesn't mean that I need to let my MESSY side kick more in, all this implies is that I have to trust more my talents and capacities to improvise and use the plans to remind me of the most crucial aspects that have to be covered. If I conquer this skill, and learn to control it instead of letting it control me, not only will my stress levels drop significantly, but I will also be able to learn how to act INTUITIVELY in moments of pressure. 

One of my main sources of STRESS is over planning because I am so aware of everything going on that I get caught in the work clutter instead of working it through and reducing it. Also, I get very stressed when UNKNOWN situations approach and my plans don't work, so I freakout.  This is exactly what happened in my POL I was under pressure, things didn't go as expected, and I was trying to channel the situation towards my plans--I was trying to make everything happen how I practiced it-- instead of acting in the moment INSTINCTIVELY. I was afraid that I didn't have the moment controlled, so I got even more nervous. Therefore, I am challenging myself to preserve my organization and planning skills that are strong, but to use them prudently--not over use them. By learning to plan and organize the right amount I will be able to give my presentations a more human touch and I will be able to stay aware of my deadlines, but not OVERWHELM me with them.

We talk about INNOVATING and fostering CREATIVITY, but when someone takes a different turn society T A L K S.  We are terrified to LEAVE our comfort zone because we don't want to be the NEXT topic of societies T A L K S. However, a year ago, I decided to BREAK the NORMS, challenge the TRADITIONAL, and take a RISK, so I decided to embark myself in the Innovation Academy journey. With my last two years of school in front of me and my college future, I decided to put everything on the LINE because I was tiered of fulfilling society's expectations and following the CLASSIC path that everyone--like sheep--follows. Today, after a year and a half, I look back and see is how REWARDING this experience has been, and how I've tremendously changed as a person. Today, I'm TWO weeks away from receiving college admissions notifications. Even though I'm scared how society--especially this traditional and norm based system--will view me, because I BROKE some established norms, I look back at my experience in the IA and I realize how every minute has been worth it. 

If we continue walking on explored ground, we will never discover new wonders. Yes, risks are part of the package, but great compensations come in as well. Through the IA I've been able to discover myself more in DEPTH and truly understand who I am and what defines me. TWO years ago I was completely S C A T T E R E D, I had no clue what were my passions and what I wanted to do in life. The IA has given me the opportunity to experiment different paths, and different strategies to work around those paths. As I've failed, learn from my errors, and gotten a taste of a variety of experiences, I feel that I have gained a sense of DIRECTION and I have a better clue of where my destination is heading. This is why, this past year, I have worked towards developing the tools and finding the perfect route to reach that destination. I was able to give my college search more meaning, because I had a VERY clear IDEA of what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to accomplish that. If I would have stuck with the path that is already build for us, instead of building my own, I would STILL feel SCATTERED and I would STILL have no clue of my DESTINATION. Sometimes we NEED to leave the BOX and the SYSTEMS, and take RISKS, because the VALUABLE experienced come from CHALLENGING society's expectations and from breaking the NORMS.