8 August, 2024 – Kade Worley
This summer has been very special for my wife and me. She went to Madrid for a study abroad for a few weeks with her nursing program. After the study abroad was finished, I met up with her in Spain and we made a vacation out of it.
Seeking Perfection
We spent time in Spain, Italy, and England. It was a wonderful opportunity, and looking back it is interesting to see the role our temperaments played in our trip. My wife is a C+O and I am an E+O. We really enjoyed our experiences in Europe.
However, I recall several situations where I said things like “we should’ve done this a different way”. Reflecting on opportunities for improvement is usually a good thing, but it can put a dampener on a vacation. My wife, being a C and having put great effort into planning our trip, sometimes took my comments personally. I assured her that she did a wonderful job planning, that I was having a great time, and it didn’t heavily impact our trip at all.
Reflecting on opportunities for improvement is usually a good thing, but it can put a dampener on a vacation. My wife, being a C and having put great effort into planning our trip, sometimes took my comments personally.
Instinct vs. Intentionality
This does highlight an important struggle for E’s though, or at least for me. I am constantly trying to balance perfectionism and optimism. I instinctually look at my life and the lives of others and think how they could and should be better. Unchecked, that practice can be destructive and discouraging for ourselves and those around us. I’m grateful however, to have some O in me to tip the scales back in favor of optimism.
Finding Balance
The happy medium that I find is composed of two parts, appreciation and motivation. My happiness requires that I appreciate things and people in their current state. This appreciation takes humility and a consistent and mindful effort. With that appreciation in mind, I feel motivated to do all that is healthy and, in my power, to improve. The emphasis on “healthy, and in my power” is an important distinction for us E’s. This keeps our perfectionism anchored in reasonable goals. I am glad to have C.O.R.E. to empower me to achieve balance in my life with consideration to my temperament.
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