Have you ever looked at someone and said, “They’re a go-getter!”? Have you ever wondered how someone starting out in the proverbial mail room can advance through the company so fast and achieve her goals faster than other coworkers? These people might have a Type A personality. Some of the traits below might better clue you into what tendencies make up a Type A personality.
1. They Don’t Put Things Off Or Procrastinate
Why put off ’til tomorrow what can be done today? The longer the task is hanging around, the more they’ll dread completing it. The more they dread it, the less likely they are to start it. This is a vicious circle the Type A personality hates. They just do it now and move on.
2. They Don’t Wing It
Always having a task list means there is not a moment wasted. Done with one thing and onto the next.
3. They Don’t Keep Looking At Their Watch
Having several alarms and reminders set will create deadlines. Having a deadline is the surest way to not lollygag around. Having alarms and reminders also lets them know when the scheduled time is up and it’s time to move on to the next item.
4. They Don’t Like Laziness
Type A people understand laziness is a choice. The more often they make the choice to be active, the easier a habit of good decisions will form.
5. They Don’t Lack Passion
The Type A person has a lot of passion for what they do. A good example would be a political lobbyist. They have a laser focus on what they want and why they want it. The rest of the world is muted and they go full steam ahead toward their goal.
6. They Don’t Show Indifference
Being emotional can be helpful or hurtful. When emotions get the best of a person, their judgement can be clouded, letting them stray from their goal. On the other hand, having emotion can help center people on their goal, helping them choose a clearer path.
7. They Don’t Relax Often
They are prone to stressing over everything. Many Type A people feel something is missing when there isn’t any stress in their lives. They always feel like there is something that they should be doing, even when they are already doing something productive.
8. They Don’t Fall Short On Energy
A Type A person will love sleeping, but not for the same reason as other people might. They see it as a way to recharge their battery so they can get a jump on the next day’s tasks. Many people with a Type A personality have a strict sleep schedule and are early risers.
9. They Don’t Like Failure
They tend to be perfectionists. While doing the task right is part of what drives their perfectionist attitude, they also like the challenge of making sure no one else can do it better or faster.
10. They Don’t Like Unscheduled Time
If the event can’t be scheduled, it won’t happen. Flying by the seat of their pants is not the way to be productive during the day. Similar to having a task list, a Type A lives and dies by their calendar.
11. They Don’t Live In The Shadows
Some Type A people would live on praise and admiration if they could. They love the spotlight and getting recognition for their hard work.
12. They Don’t Like To Be Late
No matter who is late, you or them, a Type A person will be irritated about not being punctual. Being late can throw off a whole day which will be even more stressful.
13. They Don’t Let Problems Go Unsolved
They love solving problems. It’s seeing a challenge or the competing part that draws them to figuring out a solution.
14. They Don’t Have Much Patience
Hurry up and get it done is the motto of the Type A personality. When one task is done, there are always 10 more waiting. When they have to wait for someone to tell a long-winded story or someone is walking slow, they get frustrated.
15. They Don’t Know How To Solo Task
Having a single browser window open with a single tab simply means they aren’t getting anything done. Usually you will see them doing more than a couple of things at the same time. While this can give the appearance of getting more done, it often spreads their attention thinly across all of the tasks, making it hard to focus.
16. They Don’t Leave Their Workspace Dirty
No matter how long of a day it was, they will always clean up their area. This might be because they won’t be able to sleep at night knowing there was something is out of place or they could have done it but didn’t. Another possibility could be that they just want to be able to jump right into working in the morning.
17. They Don’t Like Working With Other People
Working with other people slows down the completion time of the project. Needing to explain why they are going to do something or talk about what will work with someone else is torture.
18. They Don’t Do Well With Being Passive
Aggressiveness gets things done. Waiting for someone to hand them something just won’t do. If they need to talk to someone or find out information to complete a task, they make it happen. They don’t wait around hoping they will get what they need.
19. They Don’t Like To Punch Out At The End Of The Day
A couple of emails from home can’t hurt, right? Working after hours and on the weekends is the norm. Just because the rest of the office is relaxing doesn’t mean the Type A needs to rest.
20. They Don’t Have Many Close Friends
They usually don’t have close friends because they work a lot. Friends just want to hang out and do nothing. If there is a job to be done like building a deck, there is a greater chance a Type A will hang out; otherwise there’s work to be done.
21. They Don’t Say No To More Work
Something in their head won’t let them say no to more work. They feel challenged and they love to prove they can do what they set out to do. They will find a way to make it happen, even if it means they have to give up something like sleep or a day off.
22. They Don’t See Tasks As Anything But A Challenge
The challenge is the motivator. Striving to be better, to get more done, testing the waters and see what they can get away with are all things you could see in this personality type.
23. They Don’t Beat Around The Bush
Their directness could be seen as aggressiveness. However, it’s really just a way to get things done. Asking someone how their day was might lead to a long conversation when in reality they just want to know one detail. They will just ask about the detail they want to know to save time and misunderstandings.
24. They Don’t Always Take Care Of Their Health
Hypertension and higher risk of heart disease are common side effects of having a Type A personality. Along with the stress associated ailments, they are usually not the most healthy people out there. Exercise and eating right take precious time.
25. They Don’t Let People Finish Their Sentences
People take a long time to get to the point. Finishing their sentences helps the story move along, or so they think. Being impatient is why they are not the best communicators.
26. They Don’t Walk At A Slow Pace
Walking fast gets them where they need to be. Plus its about the only exercise time they can justify during the work day.
27. They Don’t Like Waiting In Line
Waiting in line anywhere or even slow moving traffic is enough to make a Type A want to snap. They go into a rage when they are driving and they come to a slow down. They are furious when there isn’t actually anything there to cause the slowdown. They would also rather pay for the person’s groceries than wait for the person ahead of them to write a check at the grocery store.
28. They Don’t Go With The Flow
Make plans how to get the goal done and get to it. With a clear plan, there is no reason for them to have to think during the process. They just work, work, work once the plan is set and the goal is made.
Featured photo credit: Defeat via flickr.com
