Gabriel Lott

Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer

Well first things first, I’m way better at pointing out my weaknesses than my strengths. I’m so

opposed to being boastful that I don’t tend to talk about what I’m good at. Therefore I’ll tackle my

strengths first since there are less of them. I’ve been told that I’m a good writer and that I can write a

compelling paper. I personally don’t love writing or feel like making a career out of it, but I see it as a

valuable skill. I like the fact that people enjoy my writing, because I definitely don’t care for all the effort

involved in it! My writing is organized and efficient. One thing that I can’t place as a strength or

weakness is the fact that I tend to write most of my papers in one sitting (perhaps you can categorize that

based on what you think). Now on to my weaknesses: the fun part. I put the pro in procrastinate. I have a

terrible habit of putting things off to the last minute, but so far I have not had any crash and burn failures

due to this. I guess it stems from my debilitating personality flaw of lacking motivation (and yes, you

have shown me your motivator!). I have to be forced by deadlines and due dates to actually get around to

doing stuff. I am not driven in the slightest. After surviving one year at PHC, I have gotten slightly better

at getting around to completing things early, but even with my busy class schedule, I still have times

where I “waste” time. When I feel guilty about that, I remember what John Lennon had to say on the

subject, “Time you enjoy wasting isn’t wasted.” I also hate academic writing, so I guess that is also a

weakness (or it may be suppressed Southern anti-intellectualism creeping out). Most of my weaknesses

stem from my total and complete lack of motivation that affects all facets of my life, even beyond writing.

If you put me to a task, I will complete it and not feel happy until I do a good job, but I will lack the drive,

motivation, and enthusiasm of some others of a different temperament. I prefer to be laid back and

apathetic, and if it were not for my intense desire for order and organization, I would be a complete train

wreck in regards to writing and other academic matters. I’m sure this sounds boring and depressing, but I

at least I recognize these flaws and dislike them at times. I know that I can overcome my weaknesses and

maybe work on adding more strengths, but I’ll need to be motivated first in order to achieve it. I hope this

essay doesn’t ruin your day and sound like a “woe is me” Eeyore monologue!