|CONCEALED|

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.

Your greates talents and strengths can sometimes be your biggest limitations when you abuse them. I need to learn how to use my skill WISLEY and not over using it because when I go to those extremes that's when I fail and I stress out--this stress affects my performance. Working on my weakness will be challenging considering that is one of my strengths too and this is something I've been using my whole life to keep me on top of things. However, once I find that MIDPOINT, that's when I the hard work and rough path to get there will pay off.