When I initially heard about the strengths test, I was highly skeptical of it all. I felt fairly certain of what strengths I had, and which I was best at. When I took the actual test, I was still fairly skeptical. I’m not one for finding out my Myers-Briggs label, and I didn’t see what these labels would do to benefit me. After I took the test, I discovered mostly what I already knew, but it helped me realize I must hone these skills to be the best I can be.
My number one strength is ‘Context’. This essentially means that my focus is on the past, and that the past is something I often dwell on and adapt to the present to learn and develop. To be honest, this one wasn’t really a surprise. I’m a History major, and even outside of a historical context, I’m not one to repeat my mistakes. I learn from them and evolve.
My second strength is ‘Input’. This essentially means I have an immense desire to learn more, and discover more. I apparently maintain and collect lots of information. Yet again, not really an eye opener. I spent years in Academic Quiz Team, memorizing dates and wars, titles and authors. Even as a child, I poured over novels, constantly trying to discover new and wondrous things. This will help fuel my drive in college, due to my thirst for knowledge.
My third strength is a shift- it’s ‘Maximizer’. This strength isn’t exactly a surprise, but it’s something I sometimes view as a fault. I’m restless when it comes to projects and assignments. I’m constantly tweaking and attempting to develop it more- so much so that I often over things and make myself incredibly anxious because of it. However, this will help me to churn out my best work.
My fourth strength is ‘Intellection’. Yet again, this wasn’t much of a surprise to me. It essentially means that I’m introspective and enjoy intellectual discussions. I suppose this is true, but often I don’t seek out incredibly intellectual discussions. I’m more just consciously involved internally, constantly pondering things. College is a time for self discovery and making important choices- this will come in handy for those times.
My fifth and final strength is ‘Achiever’. This is the least surprising of all. My whole life, I have strived to work hard to achieve what I believed was best for me- whether that was getting into National Honor Society or obtaining a solo in Chorus. I think this is the biggest key to my success, because I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have been able to pass all the classes I have if I hadn’t been willing to push myself to work hard. The only thing I disagree with is apparently I enjoy “being busy.” To be entirely honest, being busy is probably something I hate the most. I might be able to work hard through what I need to, but that does not, by any means, imply I enjoy doing it. I would much rather have down time than constantly involving myself in new projects. However, this trait will help me push to succeed in whatever I attempt to do.