Am I really Type A personality, an impatient and bossy boss?

I was talking to a client of mine this week and we decided that we are both impatient people. Sometimes this is a good trait; it helps me to make decisions, work quickly and efficiently and make things happen; all the things needed to successfully run a business and my home. However, I’m aware that with it, comes problems. I tell the teen and pre-teen to stop being so impatient but maybe this is a learnt habit and I’m their teacher! You may not have heard of the term core personal paradox – it’s having contradicting personality traits - but this week especially I have noticed it in myself. I’m a Leo, apparently a natural born leader, however I was always really shy growing up, my brother was the confident older sibling with the bigger personality. But, I’ve always had a quiet confidence. Some people would say a stubbornness, I prefer to say determination, ambition and drive. Once I have a bee in my bonnet, I have to do it, and once I make my mind up, it takes a lot for me to change it. There is a fine balance between being a leader and being bossy! Last week was the beginning of a new phase for me, the lull between the initial chaos of lockdown and tiny steps forward to the movement we are all craving in the weeks ahead. I'm ready….I'm becoming increasingly impatient to get moving again. Reflecting on this, does this make me a true Type A personality? And do I want to be? With my scientific brain in gear, I did some research into personality types, specifically Type A and Type B, to assess this. It was a fascinating read – as my teen would say, “science geek”. I know it will help me even more with understanding working relationships in the future. The personality associated with Type A is competitive (big tick), highly organised (tick for work, although outside of work I'm ALWAYS late – I blame the three kids), ambitious (tick), impatient (tick – apart from when I'm being creative or helping to solve the teen's or pre-teen's problems) and highly aware of time management (tick for work, I’m aware of it outside of work but with the, kids it doesn’t always go to plan). I found a study from the 1950’s explaining a correlation between Type A personality and heart disease. It found that chairs in their waiting room were worn out only on the front edge of the seat, similar to how I sit when I am watching my favourite series, Money Heist! And I’m sure my chocolate habit doesn’t help with this either! Participants answered questions such as, “Do you feel guilty if you use spare time to relax?” and “Do you generally move, walk, and eat rapidly?”. Answering yes to the questions, made me read on, slightly worried. True Type A personalities are often high-achieving “workaholics”, pushing themselves with deadlines, hating delays and preferring multi-tasked careers. They experience more job-related stress, although do not necessarily outperform those with Type B personalities who live at lower stress levels, working steadily in more creative careers, exploring ideas. When faced with competition they focus more on enjoying the experience rather than winning. Type As can be more confrontational, therefore can be harder to manage, Type Bs can be more tolerant and can be easier to manage, seeing things from a wider perspective and encouraging teamwork. There are also A-B personalities, neither leaning to one side or the other. There is a suggestion that magnesium deficiency is linked to Type A personalities since they may be more prone to stress, producing more catecholamines than Type B subjects. This in turn induces magnesium loss, therefore maintaining the right levels can protect the cardiovascular health of an individual. The Type A side of my personality has now instructed my husband to add some dark chocolate (it has to be 85%+ cocoa content) to our ever-growing shopping list to boost my magnesium levels and I feel my avocado addiction may serve me well.

I have learnt a lot over the past few weeks, and I don’t want this time to be wasted in the months and years ahead. I had definitely become more of a Type A personality, however the past 3 months has recalibrated me to more of a balanced Type A-B, probably still leaning towards the A side though. Although I still find it hard to relax in my spare time, I am being kind to myself more often. I am giving myself time to enjoy hobbies such as painting and I have taught myself how to use my sewing machine for the very first time, I received it as a gift 14 years ago. I made my pre-teen a top out of an old t-shirt and some elastic, it met her approval and it didn’t make a dent in my purse for a change. And, more importantly, it allowed me a few minutes of stress-free time.