Retreat & Restore, Extroverts vs. Introverts, & Easy Resume Updates

Hello Reader!

This week, I'm exploring restorative retreating, introvert vs. extrovert processing, and why you should always be building your resume.

Feel

I get the best ideas when I'm driving. It's like the shower, only better! I don't know if it's the open road or the fact that I can't do anything but think, but I really get a chance to explore thought avenues that are usually cut off by my family needing something, my phone dinging, or my conditioning to be endlessly productive.

Anyway, I was thinking about how important my Tuesdays are to me. Tuesday is the only day when I get time alone in my house. Total silence. Without having to drive and waste gas. It's when I get most of my writing done and really have time to think about what I've been reading and integrate new concepts into my research.

And I protect it at all costs. I will overschedule myself on other days to keep my Tuesdays sacred. I know if I don't get that time alone to think, my brain will feel fried all week. I'll work slower and enjoy my family less. Putting myself first on Tuesday allows me to be more productive and fun the rest of the week.

So now I'm asking you, what time is sacred to you? Is it binge-watching your favorite shows on Friday night? Taking a hot bath on Sunday? Or is it sitting in the driveway so you can have 5 more minutes of your delicious audiobook before going inside to the wonderful chaos?

Retreating to take time for ourselves isn't selfish. It's restorative. With cell phones, we're expected to be constantly available to anyone and everyone to reach us whenever they want. But we get to decide when we want to be reached. Turning off our phone notifications or stepping outside can be an effective way to retreat. Another is setting a specific time or day when you are unreachable.

I tell my friends I write on Tuesdays. But I could also say I do nothing, lie on the floor, and stare at the ceiling. It doesn't really matter. I don't owe anyone an explanation for how I spend my time. And neither do you.

Change

I'm doing a deep dive on LinkedIn this week, exploring the different ways to break the Hyper-Independent Protective Pattern. One post on how it shows up differently in introverts vs. extroverts: "I'll figure it out myself" vs. "I got this!" Introverts lean towards not wanting to bother anyone, while extroverts don't want to bring the party down.

The next area I explored was sensitive processing vs. analytical processing when dealing with a protective pattern. Basically, sensitive processors feel emotions first and then are ready to change their thought patterns. Where more analytical processors have to understand the problem and their thoughts around it logically before allowing their emotions to process.

And this got me thinking:

Are all introverts sensitive processors and all extroverts analytical processors?

The answer turned out to be no, and there are some interesting contradictions, including:

30% of Highly Sensitive People are actually extroverts
Many introverts are highly analytical processors who work internally rather than through external discussion

This can lead to sensitive extroverts and analytical introverts feeling like they don't belong in either group. Which got me thinking, as much as I love to call myself an extroverted introvert, maybe I should spend less time labeling what I am and more time being who I am.

If you want to read more about the differences between introverts and extroverts, check out my latest post on FeelChangeBuild.com!

Build

I heard great resume advice on LinkedIn today that led me to the idea:

We should always be building our resumes!

In a way, we already are. Every time we share an insight, meet a deadline, or complete a project, we are adding to our accomplishments at work. It's like we're building our brand: inventive, reliable, and organized. We usually get our kudos (or not) and move on.

But what happens when it's time to move on from that position? You're ready for a promotion, a new job, or even scrounging up accomplishments for your annual review to prove you deserve a larger raise. What was the valuable insight again? Or how long did it take you to complete that big project? What were the results?

When we're not taking notes, we're losing valuable examples and results that go on our resumes. So start a note on your phone or a doc on your desktop that just says, "Wins!" at the top. (Exclamation point is optional, but you know I love enthusiasm!) Write stuff in there, big and little, so when the time comes to defend or promote your brand, you're ready!

Thank you for taking the time to read!

Have a lovely day! - Kate