There's a name for that

I’ve always known that I’m an introvert (INFJ for you MBTI fans). Runs in my family. I wouldn’t characterize myself as a worrier, but it might be fair to call me an overthinker. I often find myself, especially at work, running things through over and over in my mind. “What about…?” “What if…?” Running through every possible scenario, trying to get things worked out just right ahead of time. So while it may seem that I’m slow to change, the truth is not that I don’t like change, it’s that I want to do it right…the first time, preferably. Unfortunately, what happens sometimes is that I get so overwhelmed trying to figure everything out that I freeze up, feeling like I can’t do anything. That’s when I have to calm myself down, take a deep breath, and just work on what I can.

Now, thanks to the insightful people at O Magazine, I’’ve discovered I’m not an overthinker. No indeed, what I am is (are you ready?) a defensive pessimist.

According to this article, "Defensive pessimists…prepare for a situation by setting low expectations for themselves, then follow up with a very detailed assessment of everything that may go wrong." Once they've imagined the full range of bad outcomes, they start figuring out how they'll handle them, and that gives them a sense of control.”

The article goes on to say that defensive pessimists are often very successful because they use the planning as a tool to prepare for every outcome, including failure. And my favorite quote: "Research shows that if you pressure defensive pessimists into being optimistic, or try to manipulate their mood, their performance deteriorates.” So shove off, all you Pollyannas, I’m pessimizing here!

Actually, all things being equal, I really consider myself an optimist, but it’s nice to know that my overheated little brain might actually be doing me some good.

For further reading:

The Introvert Advantage
Learned Optimism
The Art of Possibility

Office politics

Elizabeth reminds me that I haven't posted recently. As I told her, though, not that much has been going on that's been worth blogging about.

This past week, I finally watched Series 2 and the Christmas special for The Office (UK version). I had seen the first series years ago, and I'm a big fan of the US version too. These shows can be difficult for some people to watch, mostly because of the squirm-inducing sensation of watching completely clueless people make fools out of themselves. However, if you've ever worked in an office, you realize that while some of the characters are a little over the top, they aren't so far off the truth either.

My first job out of college was working in the trust department of a small bank in suburban Minneapolis. There was a group of us there, all just a few years out of school and not yet ground down by the corporate rat race. We dealt with stocks and bonds and trust assets in a "back office" environment, where we never had direct contact with the actual bank customers (and a good thing too). Although we worked hard, we goofed around a lot too, which just amazes me now that I think about it. I guess that's why I like laughing at The Office so much; it reminds me of all those quirky characters that seem to be a part of every working environment.

Here are some of the things I remember we did:


• Our offices overlooked the bank’s time and temperature sign. Every morning, the boys would start a betting pool as to what the temperature would be at 3 pm that day.
• We had another betting pool on how many days in a row our boss, Dino, would wear the same suit.
• Waiting until we knew Paul was in the restroom and then having him paged. When he came back, we’d ask, “Paul, did you hear your page? Where were you?" just for the sheer pleasure of watching him turn beet red.
• Keeping a list of the stupid things people said…like when Kim was complaining about her dry feet and Jayleen recommended that she use a pubic stone on them (she meant a pumice stone). I think I still have that list somewhere…
• Taking Kim’s ugly clown figurines that she kept on her desk and putting them in awkward positions.
• The bank subscribed to a Muzak service, and there was a speaker in our offices that we couldn’t turn down. Oddly enough, one of the songs included was the theme song to “The In-Fisherman”. Whenever it played, we would sit at our desks and pretend to fish. I can still hear that song in my head...Doo do doo, da doo doo doo doooo

So as a tribute to all those eccentric office dwellers out there, here's a little Series 2 Office action (Ivy, feel free to join in):

The Cute One

Just watched Paul McCartney perform "I Saw her Standing There" on the Grammys. You know, he is still so much fun to watch. And how cool was it that Dave Grohl played drums? Rock on!

Hello, gorgeous!

This is Ivy.




This is Ivy with her parents, Shawn and Kevin.

Ivy is the star of her own critically-acclaimed* blog, Little Lamb Ivy. I recently met up with Ivy, hoping to get to know better this little girl who has captured the hearts of so many. As we settled down for an afternoon of playtime and Gerber Puffs, Ivy was quick to welcome me.

Among her many recent accomplishments, Ivy lists pulling herself up, drooling, doin' the Twist, and getting lots of kisses as some of her favorites. On the not-so-hot list? Naptime and getting bumped in the mouth.

While always well-dressed, Ivy claims she's not a slave to fashion. She leaves most of her wardrobe choices to her stylist, AKA Mom. On the day we met, Ivy was wearing a stylish frock from the House of Pooh, accessorized with cable-knit tights and these adorable shoes.

Our playdate was over too soon, but I'm glad I finally got a chance to meet the star behind the headlines. She's a lovely little girl and a big part of one happy happy family. See you again soon, Baby Doll!


* "Two thumbs up!!" --an important, well-known critic. "Better than mashed avocado!" --another important, well-known critic.