Thrifty Thursday: I'm a Two-Speed Pony

Self-awareness is important for your personal success. I whole-heartedly believe this. 

You need to know what you do well and what you don't. I need to know why I prefer to act a certain way and why others do not. 

So much so that I take personality tests all the time. 

I can answer all of the following questions: 

What is your Myer's Briggs type? 
 ISFJ

What are your top five strengths?
Empathy, Developer, Adaptability, Relator, Belief

What is your color? 
Even mix of gold and blue

What is your animal? 
Koala

Are you a type A or type B personality? 
Type A (and all who know me and this test in particular are all giggling at the idea I could ever be classified as type B)

You name it, I've taken it and I've read about what it says about me as an individual. 

One thing none of these really address is the fact that everything in my life comes in one of two speeds: 

1) Not moving at all (parked, stationary, completely inactive)

2) Super turbo fast (hard and fast, full concentration with a heaping helping of perfection)

That's it. That's all I've got.

And because I come in two speeds, I'm often left extremely frustrated. 

Chop chop, people! Why don't you go at my pace?! Can't you see this is important?! Can't you see how awesome this is going to be?! WHY DON'T YOU CARE AS MUCH AS I DO?!?!

It frustrates me to no end! I frequently get to a point at work where I can literally do nothing else on a project until someone else does something. 

And this is my face while I'm waiting on them while watching their activity on Facebook.

And I think 15 steps ahead of everyone. So when people are actually shocked that something has gone wrong when I saw it coming a mile away and more often than not, warned them it would happen, it baffles me. 

This is just some insight into my brain. 

Recently, we (Justin and I) made a very important decision. We live with the belief that debt is the devil. We both want to adopt. We both want me to get my doctoral degree. 

Those three goals DO. NOT. MIX. 

We made a plan about a year ago to get X amount in savings, then pay for doctoral classes without loans, finish the degree, then pursue adoption. 

While we had a plan and that was all well and good, it didn't seem like we were moving fast enough. Saving X amount of money was going to be hard and take a long time. 

I'm not a big fan of waiting. 

Interestingly enough, this is how Justin actually wakes up.

Recently, my institution re-instated the graduate degree discount for employees. 

That's right. I get to enroll in my doctoral program at 90% off! 

Shut. Up. 

I get to accomplish a goal AND be cheap?! THERE REALLY IS A GOD! 

So in true Rikki fashion, I filled out my graduate school application, got a transcript from my previous degrees together, and had a meeting scheduled with the director of the department within the first week. Then I scheduled my GRE for Monday. 

That's right. Less than a week away. 

I'll study this weekend and take it on Monday. 

And I'm enrolling in my first class in July. 

Why wait? There is no reason other than to let time pass and the time will pass anyway so  I might as well make some progress. 

Holy smokes, Batman. I did it. 

When I feel froggy, I jump. And damn did I jump! 

This is a big deal for me and I'm very excited about it. I've wanted to go back to school since about the moment I stopped... and that should say something about my dork level because I WORK AT A UNIVERSITY! You would think I'd be all funned out by now. 

But in my line of work, it is becoming increasingly difficult to rise to a higher position without a terminal degree. If I can achieve it, I need to. Job security is everything. And since I'm batshit crazy a big ole' dork, it is time.

So buckle up everyone. Because in about six years (kill me now that is TOO FAR AWAY), you'll have to call me DOCTA!!! (except don't b/c that will make me really awkward and uncomfortable).