Take Note!

I know a fair amount about myself, about my tendencies and my personality. I can't be the only one who likes finding out more about myself in this regard, as there are tons of profiles and quizzes and articles discussing these topics.

I've known some things for a long while:

• I'm a reader. 
• I like things done correctly versus quickly.
• I'm an introvert. 
• I'm a picky eater, and I like mostly bland food. 
• I'm better at editing than writing. 
• I love organizing. 
• I dislike conflict.
• I'm a list-maker. 

And in the last few years, I've learned that:

• My primary temperament is melancholic.
• My secondary temperament is choleric (so there's a teeny bit of extrovert in there).
• In Myers-Briggs, I'm an ISTJ.
• One of my gifts is administration, which is why I like paperwork, and love spreadsheets.
• I am loyal, in relationships but also in seemingly irrelevant things like making sure to read every post by my favorite bloggers even if the topics aren't of high interest.
• I'm an Obliger (mostly), so I work better with external accountability. 
• I dislike clutter, visual and mental. 
• Gifts are my love language. 

I have always been a note taker. I didn't spend much time thinking about it, but looking back, I see that I always had some of the most in-depth notes in school. I often take notes, even if it's just on a napkin or on my phone, when I hear an interesting speaker or read a compelling article. 

Some people write in books, underlining and starring and jotting things down in the margins, and I have a hard time making myself do that. I'll occasionally mark a page with a sticky note, but I rarely write in books. However, I do have notebooks full of notes from books I've read, conferences I've attended, and speakers I've heard. I rarely look back at them, so they mostly sit in a drawer of my nightstand. I've always assumed this was just a weird nerdy quirk of mine. 

I realized today, when I sat down to take some notes from "Better Than Before" that I must just learn and process information by taking notes! It's so simple, I'm almost embarrassed that I'm into my thirty-fifth year and I didn't realize it. It's like a weight has been lifted, and I no longer have to wonder at this strange habit I have of taking notes, but rarely reviewing them. I feel so free! 

I hereby own the title of Note Taker.

Today's note-taking. Coffee status: Gonzo