Overcoming what I've come to think of as a monumentally short attention span has been a challenge. First of all, realizing that my attention span IS NOT EVEN THAT SHORT has come as a complete surprise. Researching my Concrete Random learning style, I've come to accept that my need to experiment is not a result of boredom or inattention; it's just the way I prefer to explore new information.
I've started to reinterpret my impatience as a cue rather than a flaw, and have begun to see my tangents as new "branches" that will eventually be "merged" instead of time wasted. It's still difficult to go through detailed instructions sequentially and methodically, as most of the time I just want to roll up my sleeves and get started. Even though I might not know what it is I'm starting.
As silly as it might sound, I find that reading instructions out loud helps me focus. Getting all the way through the instructions is an integral part of completing the project correctly, and not having to go back and redo it. My annoyance at having to start again on something I've already convinced myself that I've completed is another Concrete Random trait that I cannot deny I have in abundance.
I need to work to harness my impulsiveness, while continuing to use my intuition. Though I tend to enjoy an unstructured environment when creating something on my own, I find that more rules make for greater creativity when I have to collaborate. Open-ended projects sometimes are the biggest sources of stress because they have no parameters, they can keep going forever. You'll never know when it's capitol-d Done. Working creatively and intuitively within clearly defined parameters and with clearly defined goals is what I'm aiming for.
After taking the thinking style quiz a few times, the result of Abstract Sequential also popped up. After reading the description, I fully self-identified as Abstract Sequential, but as I've begun to pay more attention to the way I actually learn instead of the way I would like to learn, I've found that the Concrete Random style is much more accurate. There are a few properties of Abstract Sequential thinking that resonate with me, but accepting that the "trial and error" nature of Concrete Random meant I also had to accept some aspects of my personality that I didn't necessarily view as positive. I can identify with the Abstract Sequential's need to get their point across, and their affinity for a "stimulating" environment. However, unlike the abstract Sequential description, I feel like I thrive in situations where I have to work with those who's views differ greatly from my own. Who knows? They could be right! Let's test it out!