Cogito Cogito, Ergo Cogito Sum

So for this blog we have to think about thinking? So meta. But seriously, that's super easy, right? Turns out, that's not necessarily the case. Then again, that just might be because of my thinking style. See what I did there? Well, that might also depend...ok, enough! When I looked into my Gregorc Thinking Style I came out with a combo of Concrete/Abstract Sequential. Sound a little contrary? Well let's go a little more into that.

First off, the thing they have in common, the Sequential. That means my mind likes to organize information in a linear, step-by-step fashion. It likes to follow a more traditional, logical train of thought which may involve some planning rather than just impulsive action. Well, that could certainly help during this Phase 0 so that I can plan my attack on each week's curriculum and go about it in an orderly way in hopes of finishing on time. So far, so good in that respect!

Now on to where I go all hybrid. Concrete enables me to take information in through my five senses and deal with the obvious "here and now." On the flip side, Abstract allows me to visualize and conceive ideas in order to understand that which cannot be seen. More looking beyond what is in front of me and using my imagination to find more subtle links and implications. Another way these two styles differ is in communication methods. The Concrete thinker tends to be more direct with no-nonsense, while the Abstract may use more subtle ways of getting their point across. Clearly that lends itself nicely to my odd mix of shyness in pairings and over verbosity in situations like this.

So, I'm a Sequential hybrid. Totally cool with that. The only area where the Concrete part can get in the way is when dealing with the whole fixed vs. growth mindset. As much as I want to think and believe in the growth mindset, there's often that Concrete part of me insisting that "it is what it is" and there's no changing that. Luckily, the longer I have been doing DBC, the smaller that voice has become. I can get better at the whole peer pairing thing, I can (and will) be less shy, especially when it comes time for on-site. The only think holding my mind back is myself, so with a little work I know that I will be one of an entire cohort of successful Fireflies!