Post 1 of 3: What Strengths Training Did For Me

I want to apologize to anyone who talks to me on a daily basis for anytime in the future. I have just completed the strengths training through the TeamMates and Gallup partnership! So bare with me if you have no idea what I am talking about or if you think I am a little crazy.

This is my first post of the series. There will be two more coming up, so make sure you look out for them!

   My first reaction to my strengths when I took the strength finder was "My mom has these on her top 5 and I am just like my mom, so why don't I have them on my top 5." I didn't know why I wasn't a Maximizer and I thought for sure that I would be a Woo. I think that I was almost disappointed with my top 5 because they weren't what I was expecting, but after reading through the definitions of each of my top 5, I understood immediately what those strengths looked like within me.

Input: People who have a high theme of input have a craving to know more. Often archive all kinds of information.

Learner: These people have a high desire to learn and continuously improve. Typically enjoy the learning process more than the outcome of it.

Discipline: Very focused and pleased by routine and structure.

Significance: Often want to be very important in others eyes. They are independent and want to be recognized.

Achiever: they work hard and posses a great deal of stamina. They take satisfaction with being productive and busy

Now, I have to say that when I first say the significance, I HATED it. I didn't like the idea of needing the approval of others. I didn't want to have significance on my top 5.

After I completed the actual day of training, I realized why I have significance. My mom is a maximizer, which means that good can always be great. This often left me feeling like I wasn't good enough. I was doing so many things in high school. I was working full time and involved in every club in high school, but I always felt like there should be one more thing that I should be doing on top of everything. I still have that feeling, but it is not nearly as strong. Thankfully, my mom being a maximizer led me to a great resume and lots of scholarships, but it also fed my significance strength.

Now that I look at each, individual strengths. It's obvious. I understand who I am and why I do some of the odd things that I do.

Input: I have every single note I have taken since 8th grade science, because I might need that information or someone else might need it. In fact, I just used all of my notes from Freshman Biology and AP Biology during Spring semester this year for my biology class. Conveniently, we did a lot of the same labs.

Learner: I could read for DAYS if people and real life wouldn't interrupt me. I have a list in the back of every single notebook from conferences and discussions of books that people mention for me to read. Will I read them, yes. Maybe some of them. But having that list of books I want to read is the way I am going to learn.

Discipline: Military. nuff said. I crave a day to day schedule and I crave to know what is happening the next day.

Significance.. This mostly relates to my military as well. I go out of my way to do a lot of stuff for people, just for a simple thank you. I often get frustrated when I am not appreciated or my hard work goes unnoticed.

Achiever: This I get from my mom. Some call it a hard work ethic. Some call it an over achiever. I have been called both.


Names that I have been called to make my strengths seem negative:

• Nosy
• Brown Noser
• Know it All, Nerd
• Control Freak
• Too Organized
• OCD
• Suck Up
• Over Achiever.

     The strengths training made me realize that the names that I have been called, are not a bad thing about me. They are a good thing. They are what makes me, Me! (: I am uniquely me.
   I also learned that it is a 1 in 1.33 million chance that you share the exact same top 5 in the same order. That makes me unique.

How would you feel after learning why you do some of the weird things that you do. How could this help you as an adult or how could it have helped you in 3rd/4th grade. What about high school?

Input: Always looking things up

Learner: Blocks that you use to start learning your letters

Discipline: 12 pt Font. Times New Roman

Significance: Biggest font, bright yellow, Underlined

Achiever: A very busy font

If you are interested in this strengths finder, all you have to do is go to this website. There is a fee of a little less than $10, but it is well worth it. After completing the questions, the site will reveal your top 5 and give you the information about them. 

    This is a great thing to use to figure out what your strengths are and how you can use them to benefit you! 

Have you already done the strengths finder? What are your top 5 and how did they help you!?

10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Starting College

As college gets closer and closer, I keep thinking about all the things that I have learned and worked on since I started college last year. There are a lot of things that I truly wished that I would have known before started college that I didn't think I would need to know. Some of these things are from other people. There are a lot more things, and every person you ask will be slightly different in the things that they tell you, but it is still good to have some idea before walking into class.


1. Write a well versed paper
    Chances are you are going to walk into your first class on the first day and you will learn that you will have to write at least one paper for that class. This is something that comes over time and needs to be worked on. I started developing these skills in high school English classes and realized how thankful I was to have had 3 really great composition teachers over my 4 years of high school. If you lack these skills, take an English class. Chances are you have to take one anyway, but try to take it fall semester of your freshman year. Sit down with your professor during office hours and have them help you.
   Many colleges have writing centers available by appointment as well. You can take a paper into the writing center and they will go over it with you to help you improve it. The goal is not to go in for every paper, but to learn from the changes that they want you to make when you go in there. Try going every 2 months or so, because your writing will change and you will still have room for improvement.
   Also, if you have multiple papers due for one class over the semester, write the first one. Unless you get a 100% on your paper (Super unlikely), go talk to that professor during their office hours. Ask them what they would have liked to see differently and what you could have improved for your next one.
Life Hack: After you finish writing a paper, copy and paste it into Google Translate on English. You will find a ton more errors than you will just skimming it over.

2. Write a thesis
      All research papers need to have a solid thesis for your professors to be able to follow. A thesis sums up your entire paper in one sentence. It is really not hard, but asking your high school English teachers to really focus on your thesis when looking at your papers is an easy way to figure out what you are doing!

Making Fitness Goals

I have always struggled with the motivation to lost weight. I know that I could do it if I actually just focused and put a good amount of effort into it, but every time I start, I seem to lose it pretty quickly. It is super frustrating.

I have decided that by my 20th birthday. I want to be at my goal weight. I want to make these fitness goals.

That gives me 128 days. a little over 18 weeks to accomplish my goals.

I know I am relatively healthy, but I want to be more. I want to be at my optimal goal weight and be able to continue with the things I want to do.

Today, I started my challenge off with a 3 mile run. I got up when Matt was leaving for work instead of sleeping the extra hour that I could have, and went for a run on the path that we typically go on walks. Just as I walked inside from my run, it started down pouring. That just shows that if I were to sleep that extra hour, I wouldn't have gone for a run.

Cookbook!

 
 The hardest part of cooking for me is knowing what to cook. I have started to enjoy cooking over the last couple of years. I know that I have become an aspiring chef in my own kitchen thanks to Pinterest. Let's just say I didn't get grandma's cooking skills, they have been learned instead of handed down. I am slowly working on figuring out this whole cooking combined with grocery shopping thing. I can at least say I am getting better.

5 Ways to Raise Money to Go Abroad!

  This summer has been absolutely crazy. After getting back from South Africa I have been trying to focus on getting moved into our new apartment and making it a home. Then I had 2 weeks of military training out in Fort Carson. (Great Time) But I feel like yet another summer has slipped away from me.
   I am just getting Thank You's done from my South African Donors, 2 months after getting home.. Even though they have been on my list of things to do... since I got home. Slowly but surly this summer is coming to an end.
  All of that being said, I am finally starting to get some of my study abroad posts up onto my blog! Woo!

Studying abroad is well worth the money. I don't regret a single penny that I spent on the trip, but I do wish I would have watched my finances a little more closely. Here are 5 Tips for raising money for your trip, because it is no secret that it costs an arm and a leg sometimes. It is hard to pay for an entire trip straight out of pocket so follow these: