J. Anthony Seliskar: A User Manual
Overview:
Myers Briggs: ENFP - Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving. This description is frighteningly accurate.
Enneagram: 2w3 - “They tend to be ambitious, altruistic, and sociable in their behavior. They love building connections with others and helping to make a difference in the world.” After multiple tests over the years, I have landed here ¾’s of the time. The other times I have landed on 9w1: “The Peacemaker.” Learn more here.
DISC: Type “I” - “The I Styles are naturally creative problem solvers who can think outside of the box. They are great at encouraging and motivating others to take action. They keep environments positive with their enthusiasm, optimism, and cheerful sense of humor. They will go out of their way to keep things light, avoid and negotiate conflict and keep the peace.” My original test was taken with Nike Project Move, a general description can be found here.
Kolbe Index: 4-6-7-3 - “Your Kolbe result celebrates your Modes of Operation (MO): 4-6-7-3. It doesn’t have anything to do with what your social style is or how smart you are. It’s how you will and won’t naturally take action. Your best way of gathering and sharing information is to Explain. Your best way of organizing is to Maintain. Your best way of dealing with risks and uncertainty is to Innovate. Your best way of tackling space and tangibles is to Envision.” I took this test for a mentor to better understand how we could more effectively work together. A general description can be found here.
Astrological sign: Capricorn - “Capricorns are the ultimate worker bees; they’re ambitious, organized, practical, goal-oriented, and they don’t mind the hustle. They’re ready to give up a lot in order to achieve that goal,” Verk says. They also love making their own rules, which means they strive to reach high career positions.” While I am not overly into the woo-woo stuff, I have many friends who would also align my personality to this description. Nonetheless, it has helped me learn about myself and my tendencies. You can learn more here!
Strengths:
Emotional Intelligence: I derive high value from and have high bandwidth for relationships. I care as much about cultivating growth in others as I do for myself.
Cross-Functional: I have an innate curiosity and strive to be a specialized generalist. I pride myself on being a “T-shaped” person that knows a little about everything, can go deep on a handful of subjects, and wear multiple hats.
“Figureoutable”: I approach problems like a puzzle that can be solved in a myriad of different ways. Whether it is coming up with a plan to travel across the country for 40 days, learning how to sing and play guitar so that I can start a band and release an album, or rebuilding a carburetor to restore a 1975 Honda CB400 Four…I constantly find creative and innovative solutions (or people) to achieve my goals.
Optimist: Regardless of the circumstance, I will always be able to control my attitude. I choose to view the glass as half-full and give people the benefit of the doubt. Smiling is free:)
Weaknesses:
Overcommitment: I am an inherent people-pleaser and say “yes” to too many things. Although they stem from positive places, I am learning to set better boundaries and say no.
Overly Competitive: I like to win. I have fun winning. However, sometimes I can prioritize winning at the expense of other people’s wellbeing. I get too caught up in playing the game and forget to take a step back and see the bigger picture.
Stress: I lean towards “busy.” When I get stressed out, I try to solve it by doing more, and I can lose focus. I tend to put other people’s agendas and goals over my own. Ultimately, burning the candle at both ends at the expense of my wellbeing.
Patience: I like to move fast and can get frustrated when I feel like there is no growth or progress. Like time, I can be restless, and the ceaseless ticking gives me a constant sense of urgency.
Principals:
Beginners Mind/Growth Mindset: I love learning and I am ok with starting from 0 because I know that I will be able to figure it out. If I am ever the smartest in the room, I find a new room.
Bias Towards Action: I am DOer. I prioritize any actionable steps towards solving a problem.
KISS: “Keep it simple stupid!” I respond best to open, direct, and transparent communication. I can play the games…but I’d rather not spend the time or energy.
Time: Our most valuable non-renewable resource. I optimize my life/work decisions around this variable.
Balance: As Naval Ravikant has said, “Our greatest ideas come to us when we are bored.” Space to breathe, think, exercise, and rest are very important to me and allow me to function at my best.
Long-term games: I strive to play long-term games with long-term people (another Naval-ism). I truly believe you are the average of those you surround yourself with.
Favorite Books:
What I know and how I think is heavily influenced by the things I've read. Here are a few of the important ones:
The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green
Love Does - Bob Goff
Tribe of Mentors // Tools of Titans // The Four Hour Workweek - Tim Ferriss
Can't Hurt Me - David Goggins
Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
Tuesday’s with Morrie - Mitch Albom
Range - David Epstein
Favorite Quote:
“Every man has two lives, and the second one starts when he realizes he just has one”
-Confucious
Contact:
If you have any questions or want to get in touch, I am most responsive over email!
Works Cited:
A huge thank you to my friend, Kai McKinney, who inspired me to write this.