Productive Personalities

Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. – David Allen, productivity guru

As a senior in college, I constantly have things to do and things that need to be accomplished as soon as possible. Between my part-time job to help me pay rent, going to classes, studying, doing homework, keeping a somewhat active social life, exercising, and many other things, how can I get everything done and still stay (slightly) sane? Honestly, it surprises me sometimes that I can make it out alive and move on to the next day.

Being productive and staying productive comes in different forms for different people. It takes some careful observation of yourself to figure out what the best solution is for your productivity. So lets do some observation of personality types and productivity. When it comes to productivity and personalities, there are four different types: Environmental, Fantastical, Analytical, and Structural.

Environmental: This personality type is very in tune with the people and things around them. They truly enjoy the company of others and feed off their energies and emotions. In terms of productivity, the Environmental type tends to be the procrastinator. Many things get pushed off to be present in social situations.

Fantastical: This personality type is a highly visual thinker and when problems arise they always have several solutions. The Fantastical type often gets lost in thoughts and ideas and remains lost for long periods of time. When an idea gets into the mind of a Fantastical, they often develop tunnel vision and stay attached to that thought hindering their productivity with other tasks.

Analytical: This personality is very good at seeing the big picture in situations and then quickly processing its information. Analytical types are the kinds of people who can look at charts or graphs and quickly pick up on its meaning. In relation to productivity, they are very driven to achieve what is at stake to be done. Pursuing goals is very important to the Analytical type.

Structural: This personality type is where people like David Allen live. They see and understand situations and then develop ways that the situation can be repeatedly solved. The Structural type will develop ways to consistently be productive or solve problems. They will also be the kinds of people to tell others how to do something even if it doesn’t work for that person.

We could also consider the classic A/B personality types when thinking about productivity. Type A personalities typically live at higher levels of stress. They enjoy setting and reaching goals, the more difficult the better. Type A’s also have a sense of tunnel vision when achieving goals, they find it difficult to stop working until finished. Type A’s are also highly competitive and hate losing. Of course Type B personalities are the exact opposite. Type B personalities enjoy reaching goals and achievements, but they don’t stress out if they aren’t reached. Type B’s are not typically competitive and don’t mind losing. Type B’s are often creative people who often reflect on themselves and situations.

So what is the best way to stay productive in relation to your personality? It takes some trial and error, but it can be done in a way that fits you best. Those who are Type A personalities could make daily lists or keep a detailed daily planner. Those who are Type B personalities could set time for themselves each day to just be creative and focus on using that creativity to be productive. There are so many solutions out there for your productivity levels. Whether its downloading special apps to keep yourself up to date or just simply going to a quiet place for focus, there is something out there for you. So get out there are figure it out!