John Dilbeck And Friends

My answers to the Think and Grow Rich Self-Assessment Test

Recently, I was reminded of the self-assessment test in Napoleon Hill’s best-selling book, Think and Grow Rich.

There are fifty-four questions in that test, and I’m going to be giving my answers and thoughts on one or two of them as close to daily as I can manage. I may miss a day here or there, but I’m going to follow through until I reach the end of the test.

I’ve started the series of posts with:

Think and Grow Rich self-assessment test

Question Number 31. Can you name your three most damaging weaknesses and explain what you are doing to control them?

I hate this type of question! I don’t like it in interviews and I don’t like it here.

OK. I feel better now that I have that out of my system.

I don’t like to admit that I have any weaknesses and I believe it is much more productive to identify your strengths and make the best use of them that you can than it is to spend too much time looking at your weaknesses.

Still, I understand that there is some value in this, especially if those weaknesses are interfering with being able to exercise your strengths effectively.

So, enough beating around the bush, JD. What are your three most damaging weaknesses and what are you doing to control them?

1. Procrastination.

This is not as much of a problem as it used to be. Still, there are times when I know I have to do something that I don’t want to do and I’m really good at finding other things to do, instead.

Most days, I try to tackle something as it comes up, unless I have other, more important things that have to get done first.

Prioritizing and scheduling have helped lessen my tendency to procrastinate, but I still have to be aware of this tendency and keep it in check.

2. I’m a slob.

I have a very high tolerance for disorder in my life and I’m not good at organizing things in the real 3-D world and putting them in their place.

In fact, I frequently don’t even see the problem until it is pointed out to me.

While I can organize just about anything on a computer, it gets much more difficult out there in the real world. When this is coupled with my tendency to procrastinate, it can result in things looking like a tornado went through my office.

I’m a piler, not a filer.

I’m trying to control this and to get things back under control, but it is very difficult for me. One of my main goals is to declutter my life and I’ve been doing that in my business by dropping things that are unproductive, but I haven’t been as successful in my real-world life.

That’s tied in with my tendency to be a…

3. I’m a packrat.

I hang on to everything because I might need it “one of these days.”

I know that is a symptom of poverty-consciousness, but it’s a fact of life for me.

I could blame Mom for this, because she was a world-class packrat, but I won’t. I do it to myself and it’s my problem.

I remember 30 years ago when I could put everything I owned into my pickup and tie my canoe on top and I could go anywhere I wanted.

Now, I couldn’t do that with an 18-wheeler, maybe two of them.

There’s no excuse for it. I know.

Still, it’s a very difficult thing to overcome and I don’t know how I’m going to come to terms with this and get things back under control.

I’ll continue working on it.

I hate talking about this. I hate telling you my weaknesses. It’s something I need to deal with.

What about you?

Can you name your three most damaging weaknesses and explain what you are doing to control them?

All the best,

JD