We’re all a little neurotic. We may freak out and do things our own way, but we’re part of the few in the world who have most of our sh*t together, so take pride in it.
Here are 10 traits neurotic people share that make them more successful than the masses.
1. We make to-do lists.
Our desks are piled high with crumples of papers with the same things written on all of them. When I have a lot of stuff to do, I bullet point each task on a Post-It.
Then I’ll type it into my phone reminders. Then I’ll write it again with marker, for more emphasis. Also, I’ll scribble it on my hand, just in case I forget something. And I never do.
2. We can’t sleep without having all our work done.
When we clock in for the night, it takes at least an hour or two to actually start snoozing.
Before we fall asleep, we make sure everything on today’s list was completed, and then we go over everything that’s on tomorrow’s list.
Before my vacation, I was so anxious about packing that I mentally packed everything in my luggage, down to the toothbrush, so when I woke up it took me 10 minutes.
3. Our desks are spotless.
When our workspace is perfectly aligned and organized with papers neatly tucked in and pencils and pens coexisting nicely, we can’t help but feel at ease.
We obsessively rearrange and tweak things a little to the right, to make sure everything looks clean. We definitely never lose anything, and if we do, our garbage is clean enough to dig through.
4. Our computer files are in a folder inception.
It’s a folder within a folder, within a folder. Our documents are all hidden in a quiet, tidy space in the depths of our documents.
Everything has its place and is saved 5,000 times, just in case you your computer spontaneously combusts. Your boss wants that document?
Easy, you have it saved in five different places, plus your USB and hard drive.
5. We procrastinate by doing other work.
The night of my final, I had a little over 300 pages of reading to do and I did what most students would: procrastinate.
The difference between an average procrastinator to a neurotic procrastinator is that instead of staring at a wall for five hours, I took Lysol wipes and started swabbing the apartment down.
My suitemates knew when I started washing the dishes and wiping down the floors that I wasn’t doing what I should’ve been doing.
They never stopped me though; during finals week our suite looked like the cover of HomeGoods.
6. We’re never late; we leave like five hours early.
Bosses, babysitters and dates love us. We’re always arriving prompt and ready for business.
For anything I have scheduled, I make sure to be ready hours before, then I leave stupidly early, just in case of traffic or the world exploding.
7. We plan for the worst.
Every day I walk outside, I think the world will come to an end. So getting to work becomes similar to preparing for the zombie apocalypse.
Are my shoes durable? Do I have an umbrella? Is my phone charged? Do I have water in case I pass out? What about my pepper spray?
It’s incredibly unnecessary and excessive, but we always make it to work on time and unscathed.
8. We’re incredibly reliable.
We religiously check our emails, our phones are always at full battery and our messages are answered right away.
Being on top of our sh*t is what we do, and people love working with us because we’re so responsive.
9. We’re incredibly meticulous.
Any profession we go into requires us to pay close attention to detail. If a surgeon missed a step in the procedure or if the pilot didn’t notice a blinking light, things can go awry really fast.
Being overly alert forces us to notice everything that’s going on, which is a valuable trait to have in the workforce. And in regard to our social lives, we’ll never forget our significant other's birthday.
10. We have a quick panic attack, then get sh*t done.
Give neurotic people a whole list of stuff to do, and they’ll most likely freak out.
Maybe not to your face, but internally their wheels are turning with anxiety, ready to take on every challenge with complete diligence.
Once the slight panicking subsides, the no-nonsense attitude kicks in and we plow through loads of paperwork and filing. Employers love us.
