Preparing for the Rio Olympics!

August 2016. Originally copyrighted and posted in "Type for Life" by the Center for the Applications of Psychological Type, Gainesville, FL. Used with permission.

I'm going to the Olympics in Rio! I had the opportunity to go to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, so this one will be an interesting contrast.

How do I prepare as an ESTJ? As you know, preparation is pretty important to people of my type!

Part of travelling is learning what I really need and when to just let go. Long ago, I made it part of my routine to acknowledge that I would inevitably forget something or need something I never thought of packing. My goal is to figure out what that is as soon as possible and to logically analyze where and how to get it!

There is my somewhat cautious SJ side that says watch out for mosquitoes, robbers, and bad water, etc. I hope to handle those negative possibilities with a bit of preparation along with actions to minimize my risks — take mosquito repellent, carry only small amounts of cash, drink bottled water and bring antibiotics, just in case.

There is my Extraverted side — so much to do and so much to see. I need to make sure I don't get worn out.

There's my ESTJ "take charge" side. I'll be travelling with several others and I need to remember to take other's needs into account. I can't order them around and expect to build relationships. Luckily the tickets we already have will do some of that structuring for us!

The Olympics is all about organization, something I love. I'm fascinated by how others structure events. At the Olympic track and field venue, there is a timetable that is rigorously applied; huge timers are always counting out the number of minutes and seconds until the next track and field event starts. It will be interesting to see how the Latin culture handles the time issue.

I really don't follow sports that much. For me, watching the field workers set up the events sometimes is more interesting than the actual events.

For example, with all those throwing events (hammer, discus, javelin) I don't know good form from bad form. I can understand long throws and short ones. But what I like best is watching the little remote control cars that the field helper puts the thrown object into and then the person with the remote control speeds back to the athletes.

I admire the helpers in the trucks who set up the hurdles quickly and then take them down quickly; it's a study in efficiency. Love it!!

So, look for me in the crowds at the track and field finals, the team synchronized swimming, and the women's diving. I'll be waving directly at you!!