2. Personal Compass

Think about a school project, a sports team or a group preparing for a competition. Why do some groups work well together while others struggle? Skills matter, but personality can also make a big difference.
An ambitious person often wants the group to achieve a high result, while someone who is determined keeps going when things become difficult. A hard-working and disciplined team member is usually willing to put in the time needed to finish a task. Being punctual matters too. If one person is always late, the whole group may lose valuable time.
Good teams also need people who think in different ways. A creative person may suggest an unusual solution, while a curious person asks questions and wants to understand how things work. An intelligent person may learn new information quickly, but intelligence alone does not guarantee success. An efficient person can find ways to complete tasks without wasting time.
Social qualities are equally important. A confident person can present the group's ideas clearly, while a fair person listens to different opinions and makes sure everyone has a chance to contribute.
Of course, some traits can create challenges. A competitive person may encourage the team to work harder, but too much competition can cause arguments. A careless team member may forget important details, while a messy person can make shared work more difficult if nobody can find the materials they need.
There is no single “perfect” personality for success. What matters most is recognising what each person can contribute and learning how to work together.

 

Revise: you already studied personality traits in Forms 7 and 9. Refresh your memory and revise the key vocabulary before moving on to new words in this unit: How to Talk about a Person's Character, Personality in Focus

ambitious — [æmˈbɪʃ.əs] — wanting to be successful or achieve important goals; ambiciozs(a), mērķtiecīgs(a)
confident — [ˈkɒn.fɪ.dənt] — believing in yourself and your abilities; pārliecināts(a) par sevi
creative — [kriˈeɪ.tɪv] — able to think of new and original ideas or make new things; radošs(a)
curious — [ˈkjʊə.ri.əs] — interested in learning about people, things or the world around you; zinātkārs(a)
determined — [dɪˈtɜː.mɪnd] — not giving up and continuing to try to achieve something; apņēmīgs(a), neatlaidīgs(a)
disciplined — [ˈdɪs.ə.plɪnd] — able to control your behaviour and work regularly towards your goals; disciplinēts(a), pašdisciplinēts(a)
efficient — [ɪˈfɪʃ.ənt] — able to work well and achieve results without wasting time or effort; efektīvs(a), darbīgs(a)
fair — [feə] — treating people equally and in a reasonable way; taisnīgs(a), godprātīgs(a)
hard-working — [ˌhɑːdˈwɜː.kɪŋ] — putting a lot of time and effort into your work; strādīgs(a), čakls(a)
intelligent — [ɪnˈtel.ɪ.dʒənt] — able to learn, understand and think about things quickly and effectively; inteliģents(a), gudrs(a)
punctual — [ˈpʌŋk.tʃu.əl] — arriving or doing something at the expected or agreed time; punktuāls(a), precīzs(a)

careless — [ˈkeə.ləs] — not giving enough attention or thought to what you are doing; neuzmanīgs(a), nevērīgs(a)
competitive — [kəmˈpet.ɪ.tɪv] — wanting to be more successful or better at something than other people; konkurētspējīgs(a), tāds(a), kuram/-ai patīk sacensties
messy — [ˈmes.i] — not keeping things clean, tidy or well organised; nekārtīgs(a)

 

As people grow and gain new experiences, they often begin to understand themselves in new ways. Their interests, priorities and relationships may change, and they may start thinking more carefully about who they are and who they want to become. This process is an important part of forming their identity.
One useful step is learning to be aware of your own abilities and behaviour. Everyone has a strength, such as communicating well, solving problems or staying focused. Everyone also has a weakness. Perhaps you find it difficult to speak in front of a group, organise your time or ask for help. A weakness is not something to be ashamed of. It is simply something you may want to work on.
Self-reflection can help. When you reflect on an experience, you think about what happened, how you reacted and what you could do differently next time. You may notice that you behave differently in different situations. You might also realise that something you once believed about yourself is no longer true.
For example, you may doubt whether you can lead a group project because you have always thought of yourself as quiet. However, after successfully organising a school event, you may recognise that leadership is actually one of your strengths. Experiences like this can gradually change your self-image.
It is also useful to consider what really matters to you. A personal value might be honesty, independence, creativity or helping other people. Knowing your values can make it easier to make decisions because you understand what is important to you.
Setting a goal is another part of learning about yourself. Your goal does not have to be something huge. You might want to improve your communication skills, develop better study habits or be able to speak more confidently in public. Small goals can lead to meaningful changes over time.
This process is called personal growth. It does not mean becoming perfect. It means understanding yourself better, learning from your experiences and continuing to develop. The more clearly you understand your strengths, weaknesses and values, the easier it becomes to make choices that reflect the person you want to be.

 

Strengths and weaknesses
be able to — [bi ˈeɪ.bəl tə] — to have the skill or ability to do something; spēt, būt spējīgam(-ai) kaut ko izdarīt
develop — [dɪˈvel.əp] — to improve a skill, ability or quality gradually over time; attīstīt, pilnveidot
improve — [ɪmˈpruːv] — to become better or to make something better; uzlabot, pilnveidot
strength — [streŋθ] — a quality, skill or ability that you are particularly good at; stiprā puse, priekšrocība
weakness — [ˈwiːk.nəs] — a quality, skill or ability that you are not very good at and may need to improve; vājā puse, trūkums
work on — [wɜːk ɒn] — to spend time and effort trying to improve something; strādāt pie kaut kā, pilnveidot kaut ko

Thoughts and self-reflection
be aware of — [bi əˈweər əv] — to know or understand that something exists or is important; apzināties, zināt par kaut ko
consider — [kənˈsɪd.ə] — to think carefully about something before making a decision or forming an opinion; apsvērt, rūpīgi pārdomāt
doubt — [daʊt] — to feel uncertain about something or not be sure that something is true; šaubīties, apšaubīt
notice — [ˈnəʊ.tɪs] — to become aware of something by seeing, hearing or recognising it; pamanīt, ievērot
realise — [ˈrɪə.laɪz] — to understand or become aware of something that you did not fully understand before; saprast, apzināties
recognise — [ˈrek.əɡ.naɪz] — to understand or accept that something is true or important; atzīt, apzināties
reflect on — [rɪˈflekt ɒn] — to think carefully about an experience, situation or your own thoughts and actions; pārdomāt, reflektēt par kaut ko

Identity and personal development
goal — [ɡəʊl] — something that you want to achieve, especially through effort over a period of time; mērķis
identity — [aɪˈden.tə.ti] — who a person is and how they understand and see themselves; identitāte
personal growth — [ˌpɜː.sən.əl ˈɡrəʊθ] — the process of developing as a person and becoming more mature, capable or self-aware; personīgā izaugsme
self-image — [ˌselfˈɪm.ɪdʒ] — the way you see and think about yourself, including your qualities and abilities; priekšstats par sevi, paštēls
value — [ˈvæl.juː] — an idea or principle that is important to someone and influences the way they think and behave; vērtība, svarīgs princips

 

Revise: we often have role models that we would want to be alike. You studied about this in Form 7: What Makes a Good Role Model? Infinitive and Gerunds

 

Discussion practice: put your ideas about personality, strengths, weaknesses and personal growth into words. Answer the discussion-type questions and practise giving clear, well-developed responses by explaining your opinion, giving reasons and supporting your ideas with examples. Use the answer prompts if you need help developing your response.