What's Your "Busyness" Personality?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  When I wake up, the plan for the day is most often:

  • A.
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    whatever is next on my to-do list.
  • B.
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    whatever supports my larger goals.
  • C.
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    No plan!
  • D.
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    it doesn't matter because my plan always gets messed up.
  • E.
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    I'm not sure--I better check to see what people need me to do first!
  • F.
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    whatever is screaming the loudest.
  • G.
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    to be as productive as possible.
  • H.
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    whatever will get me ahead.
• 2.
  Regarding grocery shopping, this scenario is most typical:

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  • A.
    I'm down to mustard and pickles. I better go!
  • B.
    I have a list, made from my meal plan, written in the order the food is displayed in the aisles. And I usually go the same day every week.
  • C.
    I intend to cook at home all week, but decide it is too much work...and get fast food instead, while my ingredients expire in the fridge.
  • D.
    I buy whatever my family likes, even if it's not good for them (or my budget!).
  • E.
    My family never eats what I buy anyway. I give up!
  • F.
    I look at the pretty food pictures my friends posted to social media and go from there.
  • G.
    I would love to cook, but don't have time. I grab whatever is quickest.
  • H.
    I have a weekly routine that works really well for me. I adjust my routine to fit my schedule, depending on the week.
• 3.
  Regarding making time for family...

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  • A.
    I work a lot, and my family wishes they'd see more of me. 
  • B.
    I try to prioritize family, but I always feel like I can't fit it in. I get to the end of the day and fall into bed exhausted. 
  • C.
    I never really thought about it. I guess everything is fine.
  • D.
    Everyone is pulling on me from all sides. I feel guilty no matter what I choose.
  • E.
    I will stop everything for my family--I'd never tell my kids or spouse "no."
  • F.
    This is not an issue because we are usually home together.
  • G.
    I prioritize family, and I do what I need to do to make it happen.
  • H.
    Family dinners and quiet evenings at home feel like a "fairy tale" life. I don't get how people pull this off. 
• 4.
  Regarding time spent in prayer, this describes me best:

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  • A.
    I don't understand how "prayer" and "busyness" are even related. Why are you asking me this?
  • B.
    I pray on the go.
  • C.
    I start out with a plan to pray, but get sucked into a project or task and lose track of time.
  • D.
    People often interrupt my prayer time with texts, calls, emails...
  • E.
    Prayer is a non-negotiable for me, so I do this before I do anything else.
  • F.
    I tend to pray whenever it works out. I don't really like to be confined to a structured plan.
  • G.
    Time to pray? I wish!
  • H.
    I don't have a regular prayer time. I'd never really admit this, because I want people to think well of me.
• 5.
  This best describes my relationship with social media:

  • A.
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    I don't do social media. It's a waste of time. 
  • B.
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    I lose track of time and often feel guilty for spending so much of my day there. 
  • C.
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    I'm very meticulous about it. I like my Instagram posts to be well thought out and perfectly filtered. I take a lot of time crafting my comments and posts on Facebook.  I often edit what I've previously posted.
  • D.
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    I would totally get off social media, but all my friends and family expect me to interact there.
  • E.
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    I use social media as a tool for connection and I often take breaks or shut it down completely.
  • F.
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    I have no choice but to be there. This is the way the world is now.
  • G.
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    I'm there, but I always walk away feeling bad about myself.
  • H.
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    It seems like a good thing, but also seems like a bad thing. I have no idea what to think. 
• 6.
  A friend has just asked me to help her organize a charity event: 

  • A.
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    Ugh! This is just one more thing on my calendar that I have no control over.
  • B.
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    She asked me because she knows I will give 100% and pay close attention to all the details.
  • C.
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    I never know what to say when people do this to me. I'm already so pressed for time.
  • D.
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    I want to say no, but will feel so bad if I don't help, because she's my friend.
  • E.
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    I consider my current schedule, my priorities. If I can do it, I will say yes. But if I can't, I say no.
  • F.
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    The other volunteers will think badly of me if I say no.
  • G.
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    I say yes now, and figure out how to make it work later, even if something else important suffers.
  • H.
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    Nope. I hate when things like that are on my calendar.
• 7.
  When someone mentions "self-care" or "me time" the first thing that comes to my mind is...

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  • A.
    I'm in! 
  • B.
    Must be nice.
  • C.
    I want to make this a priority, but all my daily tasks take up my time, and it never happens.
  • D.
    If I don't take care of myself, I have nothing to offer the people I love.
  • E.
    I feel guilty taking time away from my family for myself.
  • F.
    I don't understand how other women find time for this!
  • G.
    Sure, but it's best to combine that time with something else (like meeting a friend or connecting with a client) so I can kill two birds with one stone.
  • H.
    Hmmm...I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  The Perplexed

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  The good news is, you don't have a problem with over commitment or too little time. (Yay!) Rather, you have a problem managing the time you have. You, my friend, are busy from morning till night. You let the loudest voice or most urgent thing dictate your schedule. When the bills are due, you pay them. When the groceries are out, you shop. When someone needs help, you're there. But at the end of your long, exhausting day, you look around and ask, "What in the world did I accomplish today?" As "The Perplexed" you have probably described yourself as "a chicken with her head cut off." Maybe others have described you as "chaotic," "disorganized," or "scatter-brained." (ouch!) Sound familiar? This is because you haven't defined what is important to you and what is not. Or maybe you have, but you don't know how to live your life to reflect your priorities. Your lack of planning and uncertainty about your priorities and your schedule leads to frustration, spinning wheels, and incomplete tasks. But take heart! You do not need to continue this way. If you want to learn more about how to determine your priorities and find the strength and confidence to live them out, keep going!
• 2.
  The Perfectionist

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  The good news is, you do not have a problem with over-commitment! You know your priorities and you try hard to live a life that reflects them. You pay close attention to detail and you work at tasks until they are completed the right way. You're an "all or nothing" kind of person. Go big or go home. The bad news is, your attention to detail and your desire to get things done correctly means you spend waaaaaay too much time on each task. Truth be told, nothing is ever quite done to your satisfaction--even when you work on it for hours or days. Sometimes, the only reason you stop a task is because you've run out of time. And forget delegating! You've learned if you want something done right, you do it yourself. What people may not know about you is If you can't complete a task or project from start to finish, you won't start it at all. This is paralyzing. It means you have many projects and piles of clutter looming over you, screaming for your attention, which causes a sense of overwhelm and dread. Don't despair. As a Perfectionist, you can learn to harness the very best parts of your personality while also letting go of the parts that keep you in bondage. Do you want some simple next steps to gain control of your schedule and your life?
• 3.
  The People-Pleaser

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  Here's the good news: people like you. You are the first person your friends and family think of when they need something--a ride to the airport, last-minute childcare, help with the big work project. This is because you always show up. Always. Here's the bad news: you always show up because you are afraid to let people down. You enjoy the affirmation you receive when people tell you how much they need you. You hate to disappoint anyone, ever. So you say "yes" to everyone. In fact, you probably believe it's your Christian duty to serve others in this way, even to the detriment of your own desires and priorities. Therefore, you truly have too much on your plate. You take on more than is humanly possible and cram too much into life. Your "yesses" to everyone else mean you are always saying "no" to yourself. You sacrifice prayer, sleep, and recreation because you don't know how to say "no" to anyone you love (and maybe even to people you don't love.) Do you want to learn how to say no with confidence so you can get some things off your plate?
• 4.
  The Defender

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  The good news is, you do not have a time-management problem. You have a "too much on your plate" problem. The bad news is, you truly believe you have no control over this. Between your job, your spouse's job, your kids' activities, and all your volunteer commitments, you sincerely cannot see any place to cut. Of all the Busyness Personality Types, you are most likely to have extenuating life circumstances--maybe a chronically ill child, or a spouse who travels extensively, or you are the sole financial provider for your family. Therefore, if someone were to guide you through every item on your schedule, you'd defend each thing, arguing with much passion why it is vital to your existence and to the existence of all mankind. You believe life dealt you a bad hand--worse than most people. Your lot in life is to be perpetually busy, because your circumstances demand it. It is what it is. Take heart, Defender! While it's true that your life circumstances are indeed challenging, you are not relegated to a life void of margin, rest, and joy. You may need to be a little more relentless in your search for balance, but you can do it! Do you want to take the next step?
• 5.
  The Reflector

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  The good news is, you don't have a time-management problem. You are doing the best you can with the amount of things you're committed to. The bad news is, you have an over-commitment problem. You take on way too much, often sacrificing prayer, sleep, or recreation to get it all done. As a Reflector, you tend to look around at what your peers are doing (or what you think they are doing) and you try to REFLECT that image. More than other Busyness Personality types, you feel a deep sense of importance and worth when people notice your accomplishments or compare you favorably to your friends, and feel sorely inadequate when they don't. You have fallen victim to The Comparison Trap. You may not ever admit this out loud, but keeping up the outer appearance is vitally important to you. If you work outside the home, you are especially vulnerable to the approval and expectations of your boss and how you look to her in comparison to your colleagues. If you are a mom, you are especially vulnerable to the "standard" set by other moms in your social circle--the size or cleanliness of their homes, the number and quality of activities in which their kids participate, etc. Your measuring stick for success is how you stack up against other "successful" people--whomever the "successful" person is to you. Therefore, you often commit to things you cannot do or should not do, just to keep pace with these people or with the image you want to project. Truth-be-told, in this age of social media, every person struggles with The Comparison Trap on some level, but no one needs to be a victim to it. It is entirely possible to discern what to add to or eliminate from your calendar, based solely on YOUR priorities. Not only that, but you can achieve this level of Balance while also cheering on your peers in all THEIR success, as well! Want to learn how?
• 6.
  The Achiever

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  Of all the Busyness Personality types, you are the most efficient and productive in all the land. This is because you have an insatiable inner drive that pushes you far beyond limits and expectations--even your own! You love living at a fast pace, and often get frustrated with those who can't keep up. If someone were to record your thoughts and words in a day, your most often-used phrase would be, "hurry up." You actually get a little frustrated when people advise you to slow down--what's the point? When you do stop, your mind continues to race. You become bored with inactivity. Being a "non-busy person" sounds miserable to you. People often ask you how you "do it all," and you take great pride in this. You know you have a lot on your plate--maybe even too much--but you like it this way. Mostly. This constant high-paced, high-achievement life can be to your own detriment. Your relationships may suffer. Your friends and family may wish you would slow down and spend some time with them. You may be missing some vital moments with your children. You probably don't have much flexibility in your day, so you can't be available if someone truly needs you at the last minute. You may not be getting enough sleep. When you finally crash--and you will--you are as surprised as anyone to discover that you are not Wonder Woman. In fact, you may not be convinced of this, even now, as you read this description. You may not see a need to adjust anything in your schedule. And of all the Busyness Personality types, you are the least likely to stop and take a quiz about personality types. If you are The Achiever (and you are still reading), you owe it to yourself and to your loved ones to take the next step in achieving some Balance in your schedule.
• 7.
  The Well-Balanced Person

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  Congratulations! You know your priorities and you do a great job of living them out. You're not perfect, and you're okay with that. You're not like your friends, and you're okay with that, too. Though busyness tends to creep up on you from time to time, you do a fantastic job at recognizing it early and adjusting your schedule accordingly. You understand your gifts and your boundaries. You are not afraid to say no when you need to, even when it disappoints your loved ones. You understand the important role prayer, rest, and self-care play in your life, and you carve out time for them. In a word, you love God and other people well. And because of all of this, you are generally happy, peaceful, and centered. You are probably a great source of inspiration to other people who seek Balance. Would you like to learn more about how you can influence those people in your life?
• 8.
  The Non-Busy Person

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  The good news is, you do NOT have a problem with being overly-busy! This is a tremendous gift to yourself and to your family. Your go-with-the-flow attitude allows you to rest, relax, and remain flexible. In this age, you are a rare breed--the least common of all Busyness Personalities! You like the pace you have chosen and don't want anyone to control your schedule or YOU. The bad news is, on the busyness spectrum, you may find yourself struggling on the extreme of Laziness. And this is something you do not like about yourself. As much as you love unstructured, quiet days, you sometimes feel guilty for failing to accomplish certain duties. You have tasks you'd like to do or need to do, maybe a club you'd like to join, or a career you'd like to try, only you lack motivation to get started. When faced with the choice of working or watching Netflix, you'd probably choose the latter (Netflix won't watch itself, you know!) In other words, you'd like to accomplish more, sure, but you wouldn't trade your freedom for productivity. You love your freedom--a lot! Everyone admires your uncluttered calendar, and no one wants you to change who you are, but you need a little nudge toward a well-balanced life. We need you to do your part in the world. We need you to use your gifts and talents. We want you to use your time for something that matters. Would you like to learn more about how to balance things out a bit?