How In Control Are You

Are you in complete control of your life or do you let others make all the major decisions about where you’re going, who you’ll do when you get there? Try this fun quiz to find out.

1. You’re invited on a fab holiday with a mixed group of friends, male and female, but you know your parents won’t approve. You:
1. Tell them but go anyway and to hell with the consequences. It’s your life, right?
2. Lie to them, either pretending it’s an all female group or that the trip is necessary for work or study.
3. Try to win them over, invite a couple of these friends over so they know your mates are not axe murderers or druggies. But you won’t go if you don’t win your parents’ blessing.

2. Some friends plan a cinema outing but you don’t fancy the film they’ve chosen. You:
1. Keep quiet about it. Why rock the boat? You’ll find someone else with whom to share your choice of film.
2. Say you don’t fancy the film but will meet them later for a drink.
3. Demand they all go to see your choice of film – your taste is infinitely better and your ability to argue stronger.

3. When you’re out with your man, how do you feel about who picks up the tab?
1. He does, of course, even if you earn more. That’s what are for, surely?
2. You do, mostly, because you like to pay your way and it means you always get to go where you want to.
3. No matter who earns most, you always split it down the middle for fairness.

4. What is your idea of having fun?
1. Life is a rollercoaster and you just ride with it. You like a wide variety of fun-filled activities, so long as there are lots of them.
2. You hate big crowds and funfairs and prefer small, intimate gatherings. You shine best at dinner parties, restaurants or nights in with the girls.
3. It all depends where the fun people are. You’re happy to join in whatever your friends are doing.

5. Your boss has been extremely critical recently and you can’t seem to please her. You:
1. Have it out with her, ask her what her problem is. You know you’re doing a good job and, if she doesn’t like it you know darn well you could move.
2. Ask your friends and family for advice but, be honest, you don’t have to take it. You just need warm shoulders to lean on right now.
3. You look at your performance overall, find ways to improve, then put then put them into action. You only confront her if she’s still unsatisfied.

6. When bills, like credit card statements, arrive at the end of the month, what do you do?
1. Shove them in a drawer till you vaguely think it’s time to pay them. You’re frequently behind with payments so get clobbered with late payment charges.
2. You file them away in date order and them pay them in time, but always at the last minute.
3. You’ve set up standing instructions with the bank so you just check to make sure the right amount has gone out.

7. When do you plan your big holiday of the year?
1. As soon as you get back from the last one.
2. You always go for last-minute bargains, it’s more fun that way.
3. By poring over brochures endlessly before making a final decision.

8. You believe that taking good care of your health is …
1. Something you know you should do and you know what you should do too. And you will – once you hit your 30s or 40s.
2. You exercise regularly, never smoke, hardly drink, eat a balanced diet and get plenty of sleep.
3. You know what you should do and you follow it most of the time but you lapse at times. Still, you try, don’t you?

HOW YOU SCORED

1. a-3, b-2, c-1
2. a-1, b-2, c-3
3. a-1, b-3, c-2
4. a-2, b-3, c-1
5. a-3, b-1, c-2
6. a-1, b-2, c-3
7. a-2, b-1, c-3
8. a-1, b-3, c-2

Control Freak (24-18) Boy, are you a controller! The higher your score, the more you are in control of your life. Or would like to be. You’re just like Madonna, organizing your life so spectacularly that even your children come in the right order, on time, and when you want them. Your wedding will be, like hers, a major opportunity for people to see you exactly as you want them to. Like her, you’ll have every detail sorted. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? For goodness’ sake, lighten up. Life cannot be totally controlled. Ask yourself why you need to be in such control. Let go a bit more and you might finally do what you fear most – enjoy yourself.
	Smooth Sailer (17-11) You like a bit of control over your life but you’ve no illusions. You know control is, well, an illusion. So you do what you can to control what you can but you don’t mind letting others sometimes lead the way, or let life take you where it will. Life isn’t completely about fate but nor is it something where we have total control over the script, principal players and plot. You recognize that. You’re healthy, fun to be with and friends appreciate you. Just make sure those parts of your life you are trying to control are the ones that matter – mostly your health and finances. As for the rest, have fun. Don’t be too hard on others if they don’t share your balanced attitude to life.
Doormat (10 or less) You’re either a complete wimp or, much more cleverly, you prefer to let others take the sweat out of your existence and make all your decisions for you. You’re so easygoing and laid back, you’re practically falling over. You don’t mind what happens to you. You know you’ll enjoy it. But you could be in denial. Maybe you fear others won’t listen to you so you just go along with what they say. Perhaps you fear trying to have more control over your life because you understand how hard this can be. Maybe you’re a youngest child or someone who has a “rescue me” script – you’re just waiting for others to make your life okay. It won’t work. Your need to grow up a bit. It’s fine to be easygoing, but try to form some opinions of your own.