Lions, Beavers, Otters, and Golden Retrievers...

I recently took a personality profile. It is meant to help people understand what kind of personality ‘type’ they are so they can better learn about their strengths and weaknesses and how those relate to other people in their lives. It is a common profile that is used by Gary Smalley (The Two Sides of Love) and others.

The four personality types that it include are Lions, Beavers, Otters, and Golden Retrievers. They are categorized by animals to help you better understand the nature of the personality traits. Lions are leaders, dominant, they like to make the rules and tell other people what to do. Beavers are the organizers, they like things neat, and they like to know what the rules are so that they can follow them. Otters care about fun, they don’t have any concern for rules, if they are faced with the choice between a good time or work, they will choose the good time, and they have a ton of friends but they tend not to be very deep relationships. Golden Retrievers are all about relationships, they are compassionate and very sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others, they are loyal, and crave few but deep relationships.

There are obviously good and bad things about each personality type. Lions are leaders and get things done, but they also struggle intensely when things don’t go their way. Beavers are great administrators and organizers, but they don’t always remember to have fun. Otters are fun to be around and always good for a laugh, but they usually aren’t very neat or organized. Golden Retrievers are great friends to have but they don’t adapt well to change.

I took the test because I was very curious to see where I fell in the spectrum. The answer wasn’t as clear as I had hoped. I’m pretty much in the middle; a little more Lion and Beaver than Otter and Golden Retriever, but not by much.

However, I think that it provided enough information to help me as I plan out the next year (can you guess that type?). I want to develop certain aspects and learn to control others. I want to develop my lion side to be a good leader for my family and small group, and a good teacher to the kids at Mission. I really want to focus on the organizational aspects of the Beaver traits to get a handle on managing my home and my projects to get everything accomplished that I’m setting out to do. When it comes to my kids I think our relationships would benefit by integrating more Otter characteristics into our normal routine. For my friends and relationships, I would like to be more of a Golden Retriever and invest more in my good friends.

There is value in taking stock in your strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t know what they are it’s hard to use them or change them for the better. It will help you to shape your goals so that you develop your talents and discipline yourself through your weaknesses. I’m hoping that it helps make my goals for January 2011, my list of accomplishments for December.

The End and the Beginning

The year is winding down and I’m beginning to think over the past year and the year to come.

There were lots of things that I wanted to accomplish this year; several of them fell into the completed column, but several of them fell into the half way done column. I finished the rough draft of my book and did a lot of editing, but have yet to complete the second draft or the final copy. I’ve lost some weight and I’m on track to keep losing, but I still have a long way to go.

As you can see I can be kind of pessimistic about these things. I like to be able to make a full check mark in the box. I like things to be finished. I get a little frustrated when they don’t quite make it, but somehow that doesn’t necessarily translate into the discipline to complete them, because my laziness at times seems greater than my desire to tie up the loose ends.

Which brings me to my resolutions for next year… I haven’t come up with them yet, but I will definitely be contemplating it once the wrapping paper is all cleaned up and the toys are all sorted.

I really want to answer some big questions. What do I really want to accomplish over the next ten years (if I’m blessed with that), and what do I need to do this next year to put me on track to get to that point? How do I not just fix one habit, but rather establish a pattern that will lead me to the successful end and the sense of accomplishment that I enjoy? How do stop being lazy and find motivation when I feel burned out and defeated? How do I cope with stress better and learn to exercise instead of eat for stress release? How do I accomplish dreams that right now seem distant and incompletely defined?

I haven’t quite figured all of that out yet, and I don’t know that I will this year. Eventually I’ll accomplish some of these things though; hopefully the ones that are actually important. The critical part is taking stock of where you’re at and where you want to go, or more importantly where God wants you to go.

As a follower of Christ, he should take preeminence in all of my decision making, and certainly in my goals and aspirations.

I’ve been trying to come up with a daily mantra for quite a while now. Something that I can start the morning with and use to help refocus me as the day becomes grueling. Here it is what I have been using:

“Today I will seek discipline and wisdom. I will be quick to listen and slow to speak. This day is a gift to be used wisely and well. I will seek God’s glory in everything that I say and do.”

I’ve also scripted a prayer to accompany it:

“God, make my plan for this day what YOU would have it to be. Make my life a reflection of your purpose. May you be glorified in all that I say and do. Amen.”

So what does God want me to do next year?

Refocusing on Priorities, Evaluating New Year's Resolutions

I am going to minimize the blogging for the next couple of days in order to get some things done around the house and the office.

Every once in a while you need to read through the New Year's Resolutions and gage how well you are doing and quite frankly, I'm not doing that good :) So I need a couple of days to refocus and get back on track.

So, I will probably limit it to one or two posts a day.

Just temporarily. :) That's about as much as I can hold off.

FYI, for those of you who have commented about it, mentioned it, called my wife about it... I have been looking into what it takes to run for public office. I don't think that I'm ready for it at this point in time, especially from a financial and family situation. I do appreciate the support and it is definitely something that I will pray about and consider in the future.

Thanks!

-Keith

New Year's Resolutions

One night remaining and I will have made it 365 days without soda!

I'm having a Mountain Dew tomorrow!

Brandi says I won't like it anymore. I'm not so sure. We'll see. Soda will continue to be a rare thing; which is a good thing.

Now on to this year's resolutions. I have spent some time bouncing them off my wife and a couple of others and this is what it is down to:

1. Prayer, Bible study and quiet time every day. I've been okay at this in the past, but it needs to be more consistent.

2. Daily exercise. Starting easy and increasing slowly.

3. Write a book. It doesn't have to be a good one ;) but just to get writing.

4. No candy/ice cream all year. This doesn't eliminate cookies, cake, Brandi's pecan pie and such, but it cuts out the blizzards, hot fudge sundaes and candy bars that kill me on a daily basis.

5. Less clutter. Buy less. Give away/throw away more. More simplicity.

New Year's Resolutions in progress

Last year I did okay, not great. I made good on a couple of decent resolutions. The biggest one that I held to has been tough, especially at different times in the year, but I have stuck with it and I'm down to FIVE DAYS. Amazing!

What was it?

No soda. No regular. No diet. No soda... period.

And I've done it.

I wouldn't have thought it was possible considering the VOLUME that I use to drink, but I did it... well, in five days I will have done it. 360 down... 5 more to go.

Now that brings up next year and what resolutions I will make...

Anyone actually checking blogs right now... and dare to share?