In general, there are three levels of energy level, hyperthymic, even balanced and hypothymic.
To figure out in which energy do you fall in, answer the following questions.
- You win the grand prize in a raffle--a weekend in Las Vegas. You think:
What a blast! I'm not about to blow my IRA accounts or anything, but gambling is a really good time.
It'll be fun--and I'm as willing as the next person to play around with some money.
I might bet a few bucks for the experience--but why couldn't I have won a trip to somewhere good?
- At work, or as part of any group, your preferred role is usually:
One of the leaders. I hate taking orders from other people.
Team player. I make myself heard, but I don't need to dominate.
Behind-the-scenes: I like having my job to do, and doing it well, but I don't need a lot of glory.
- When it comes to chores, which is the most typical of you?
I never do fewer than two or three things at once--while I'm brushing my teeth, I'm also choosing my clothes and thinking about what I need to pick up for dinner.
I double up when it makes sense--folding laundry while I watch the news, doing dishes while I talk on the phone--but I try not to get too frantic.
I hate feeling scattered and pressured--I do better when I can do one thing at a time.
- Which comes closest to your approach to life?
Seize the day--you miss out on a lot if you debate everything to death.
Spontaneity's great--but more as a frequent spice, not a steady diet.
You usually save yourself grief if you think things through first.
- How much sleep do you need? Not, what's the minimum you can scrape by on without falling asleep at the wheel, but what does it routinely take for you to wake up feeling really rested?
5-6 hours a night
7-8 hours a night
9-10 hours a night
- In addition to working part-time, you're co-oping at the nursery school, in the middle of a patio renovation, and it's your turn to host your dinner-and-book group. A neighbor calls and asks if you'd have time to help set up for this weekend's block party. Your true (even if unspoken) reaction:
Sure--no problem.
Let me think--hard--about it.
What are you, nuts? I'm in over my head as it is.
- Financially, your prevailing philosophy is:
Maybe I should save more, but what's the point of having money if you can't enjoy it?
I'm no spendthrift, but you can't be too tight or you'll never have any fun.
In general, I get more satisfaction out of saving than I do from spending--the best thing money can buy you is a sense of security.
- Sex? Compared to others:
I'm very into it, and the more variety, the better.
I seem to be about average--it's great, but I wouldn't say I dwell on it particularly.
I think it gets overblown sometimes--and familiarity and comfort matter more to me than novelty.
- Conversationally.
I have a tendency to be a bit of a chatterbox.
I carry my share, but I don't need to fill up every lull.
I certainly contribute, but I don't see the point in saying much unless I've got a reason to.
- Which kind of exercise appeals to you most?
Squash, step class, singles tennis
Volleyball, recreational bicycling, doubles tennis
Yoga, walking at a leisurely pace
- Work tends to creep into the rest of your life--you often stay late, bring work home, and phone in on weekends.
True.
Only in a crunch.
Are you kidding? When I'm gone, I'm gone.
- Change is:
Stimulating--I'm like the shark that dies if it doesn't keep moving.
Alternately fun, scary, important, a big drag--you can't stagnate, but you need consistency in life, too.
Sometimes necessary, but usually hard for me--I like my life steady, predictable, and safe.
