Slow & Steady

When you have a job that you love to do, work isn't just work, it's fun.  Today, I went to work, then after I was done, I went and had some fun.  Don't get me wrong - I LIKE my job and the people I work with and for, but I LOVE events and The Finer Details team.  Having worked with them over the past 15 months, I've had a chance to learn quite a bit from everyone and really feel like part of the team even though it's only been official for two months. 

Tonight was our monthly staff meeting which is always entertaining to say the least.  The first hour is spent going over upcoming events and getting feedback on various topics (i.e. ways to strike an event more efficiently).  The last two hours feature a guest speaker talking about a specific topic.  Last month we met Megan Halkett of Patio Social, who spoke about Social Media and how we can make it work for us.  If you recall, it sparked my Social Scene series, which is still in the process of being finished =s Tonight's topic?  Personality Styles - Characteristics and how to identify/work with them.

Led by a great BNI contact of Deborah's, Darren (I have no idea what his last name is but once I find out I'll let you know), we took a quick personality test to see what behavioural style we fall under; Directing, Influencing, Steady, or Cautious.  It was actually a little surprising that out of eight of us, only one was Directing dominant.  Unsurprisingly, it was Deborah that fell under Directing which is excellent because we definitely need a strong hand to keep the rest of us in line =)

The rest of us were split 5/3 between Influencing and Steady, myself falling in the latter category.  You've all heard enough about my personality (here and here just in case you forgot and were curious) lately so I won't dive into all the details, but I will highlight the main thing the rest of the group heartily agreed with - Can't Say No!  Apparently it's obvious that I have a problem saying this little word and tend to take on too much.  Darren even used one of my favourite trigger words, guilt, when talking about why Steady people take on as much as they do. 

Anyone interested in learning more about DISC personalities and interacting with the various behavioural styles can take the quiz (don't blame me if this is no good - I just Googled disc personality test free and this was the first one that popped up!) and if you're really keen, check out the book "Who Do You Think You Are Anyway?"  It's currently on my wish list but can be difficult to find.  If I do get my hands on one, I'm not letting it go as I have a feeling it'll come in handy in the years to come =)

Dancing Queen & Other Beats

It's 90's night again tonight so before I head out the door in my dancing shoes, I'm looking at what my music says about me.  Give it a try yourself by setting your entire music playlist on shuffle and using the sequence of songs that play to answer the following statements/questions.  There is only one rule - no cheating!  Out of 4100 songs, this is me according to iTunes:

What does next year have in store for me? I Like to Dance (Hot Chelle Rae)

What's my love life like this year?  Life, In a Nutshell (Barenaked Ladies)

What do I say when life gets hard?  Strange Times (The Black Keys)

What do I think when I get up in the morning?  Fingerprints (Katy Perry)

What song will I dance to at my wedding?  I Need you Tonight (Backstreet Boys)

What do I want as a career?  Baba O'Riley (The Who)

My favourite saying:  Any Other Way (Backstreet Boys)

My favourite place:  Undisclosed Desires (Muse)

What's my alter-ego name: Dancing Queen (Abba)

Where would I go on a first date?  Fantastic 6 (Alphabeat)

Drug of choice?  Glitter in the Air (P!nk)

Describe me!  Rock and Roll Star (Oasis)

What is the thing I like doing most?  Restless Heart Syndrome (Green Day)

The song that best describes my workplace: Our Lives (The Calling)

My current state of mind:  Vindicated (Dashboard Confessional)

How will I die?  Do Your Thing (Basement Jaxx)

Some pretty good hits and strange randoms but fun none the less =)  Happy Friday everyone!

TMI?

I'm feeling narcissistic today from all the attention so I've decided to double post and give you more information about today's hot topic - me! Hence the title which stands for Too Much Information =p

3 random facts:
Sometimes I dream in black & white
I can play the piano

Classic Scooby Gang
all the way!

One of my pinkies is smaller than the other (Pinkilina) =)

3 old cartoons I used to watch:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Scooby Doo

3 shows I watch first:
Fringe
Glee
Modern Family

3 Songs on Repeat:
Dog Days are Over (Florence & The Machine)
Hammers & Strings (Jack's Mannequin)
Love is the End (Keane)

Last 3 books read:
Dinner for Two (Mike Gayle)
A Match Made on Madison (Dee Davis)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (JK Rowling)

Last 3 movies watched:
Air Force One
Wanted
No Strings Attached

Who wouldn't want to
wake up to this?

3 celebrities I would stalk:
Joshua Jackson
Ryan Kesler
Diane Kruger (because she's going out with #1)

3 Awseome places in my city:
Robson Square Skating, Stanley Park, Robson & Howe (my downtown happy place aka the giant Chapters!)

3 Awesome places in my house:
The deck, My bed, Any of the couches

Last 3 Vacations:
Honolulu (Oct '10), Tofino, (Jun '10), Ottawa/Toronto (Mar '09?? Clearly I don't get out much!)

3 guaranteed smiles from:

It's a Ghost Spider!!!

My friends, the Pass it to Bulis blog, Modern Family

3 scary things:
The dark, spiders, ghosts

3 things I love:
Family, friends, champagne bubbles =)

3 things I hate:
Stupidity, ignorance, superiority

3 things I don't get:
Beiber fever
Why we keep putting hockey teams in cities where no one likes hockey
How Donald Trump can be so rich but still have such bad hair

3 Things to do before I kick the can:
Dive with Sharks, Visit every city on my "To See" list, get published

My nemisis!

About 10 years ago...
1. I had an amazing group of friends
2. I thought planning grad would kill me
3. I wanted to be a writer

About 5 years ago...
1. I was getting ready to move to Florida
2. I took a break from school
3. I worked retail full time (go Smart Set!)

About 2 years ago...
1. I was back working full time at Smart Set =(
2. I started looking at schools
3. I went to Hawaii with my whole family =)

About 1 year ago...
1. I was kicking ass at AiV
2. Made so many amazing friends at school
3. Quit Smart Set and lasted 3 weeks unemployed!

Today...
1. Is my birthday!
2. I drank champagne at midnight
3. I am amazed I still have some of those amazing friends from 10 years ago to go along with all the amazing friends I've made since then =)

More Coincidences

A quiet lunch hour = an early afternoon post!

It's my birthday tomorrow (eek!) so a friend of mine sent me a couple more links to explore.  The Birthday Calculator has some neat facts about what sign and different calendars you were born under, celebrities that share your birthday and even how old you are to the second.  For example, as of 11:45 this morning, I was approximately 883,579,291 seconds old which actually doesn't seem that long to me.  Another interesting link that goes along with yesterday's personality test, is the Numerological Name Calculator.  I calculated myself twice, using my standard given name and my full legal name.  Obviously I got two different results but they were still quite accurate.

With my standard given name, I am a #9.  Characteristics of a 9 include humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, and creative expression.  I have a Soul Urge (I have no idea what this means) number of 1 which means I want to lead and direct, working independent of supervision.  My Inner Dream number is 8 which means I dream of success in business or political worlds and of power and control.

With my full legal name, I am a #6.  Characteristics of a 6 include responsibility, protection, nurturing, community, balance and sympathy.  I have a Soul Urge number of 7 which means I am fond of reading (this is pretty obvious to anyone that's been in my room and seen the overflowing bookcases!) and retreating to periods of being alone.  My Inner Dream number for my legal name is 8 again.

I will stress one more time that these online tests are not 100% accurate, but I think we can all agree that there are general observations that really do apply to each of us.  Let me know if you find any other links/sites/quizes for us to try!

My Other Me

Commenting on a previous post, Jen Mac (woo hoo shout out #2!) suggested I take a Myers-Briggs personality test.  Curious to see what it could possibly say about me I gave it a shot and was pretty surprised.  Apparently, my personality type makes up as much as 10% of the population.  I am what is considered a 'Protector' who's primary interest is in "the safety and security of those they care about - their family, friends, students, patients, boss, colleagues, and employees." Clearly, anyone I've ever picked on would disagree, but I think at the end of the day, I am like that.  It goes back to being needed and trying to take care of everyone else.  Another thing that jumped out at me was that protectors are willing to "work long, hard hours quietly doing all the thankless jobs that other manage to avoid.  Protectors are quite happy working alone; in fact, in positions of authority they may try to do everything themselves rather than direct others to get the job done."  Hmmm...a work-a-holic who has control issues?  Still sounds pretty accurate to me!  Lastly, protectors are "frequently overworked," which translates to sleep deprived and exhausted.  Another piece of my personality that cannot be denied, just ask anyone I went to school with.

While none of these quizes and tests are 100% accurate, it's always amusing to see what they do manage to get right.  Personally, I like to think of myself as a giant contradiction.  I love Halloween, but hate being scared; I have OCD but live in a messy room; I love planning events but live for hanging out at home.  I'm a little eccentric, a little brainy, a little sporty, a little sweet, and a lot of fun =) Hopefully you all won't mind getting to know me a bit better this year.