9 signs you have a detail oriented personality and you notice things others don’t

There are two types of people in the world:

Those who look at the big picture, and those who dwell on the specifics.

In business and life, both of these types are important — but not everyone knows which type they are.

Some people think they’re detail-oriented, only to realize that they focus more on a grand vision.

So, the question is:

How would you know if you’re really more keen on the details instead of the bigger picture?

Here are 9 habits of detail-oriented people:

1) You Value Efficiency 

Wasting time is out of the question.

Even one extra minute means expending more energy and valuable resources that could have been dedicated to other endeavors.

For detail-oriented people, the bottom line is this:

Each part, no matter how small, matters in meeting the big objective.

Therefore, you must pay attention to each and every detail. Keeping these small parts running smoothly means reaching or even beating the deadline.

2) You Anticipate Trouble

Some people don’t think too much of the ‘basic’ elements. They believe there’s nothing to worry about, but that’s not how people should think.

Keep Murphy’s law in mind:

“Things will go wrong if any given situation if you give them a chance.”

If you don’t examine each and every detail, how can you say with complete confidence that everything’s going to be okay?

Imagine you’re going to build your dream home. You know for sure it’s going to be the house of your dreams.

Why? It’s because you have full creative control.

From the color of each room to the design of every shelf and doorknob, there are distinct details that define your perfect residence.

So the same goes for detail-oriented people:

They evaluate each small aspect to prevent the whole from crumbling.

You don’t just say that your dream house is big. Instead, you go into every detail and examine what works and what doesn’t until the entire structure is built up in your mind.

3) You Make Sense of Seemingly Unconnected Things

Let us get one thing straight here:

Everyone knows the details and ideally keeps them in mind.

The great thing about detail-oriented people is that they don’t easily forget about the minor details that would otherwise go above the heads of other people.

But how is this possible?

The key here is to identify patterns — even if they don’t actually exist.

As a student, remember how hard it was to memorize all the test items a day before the exam?

You probably made patterns to recall the answers with ease. Perhaps a series of concepts started with the same letter, or maybe the historical dates all had odd-numbered years.

In life, you also make sense out of all the chaos around you:

You slowly but surely remember the streets on the way to work by thinking of the shape they form.

You count how many bookstores you pass by before you reach a target destination.

It’s just who you are — you organize and connect ideas in order not to lose sight of the end goal.

4) You’re a Perfectionist

Ensuring that each part of the process goes smoothly is great.

But you know what isn’t?

Constantly going back to one part to ensure that it’s practically flawless.

Ironically, there’s a tendency to waste time even when you’re all about efficiency. You badly want things to work out the first time that you repeatedly check everything.

Even when you’ve tested the first step 100 times, you check it again one more time just to be sure.

Here’s the cold, hard truth:

Detail-oriented people develop anxiety when they strive for perfection.

Look, nothing’s absolutely perfect, and that’s perfectly fine. Even the best painters of all-time think there’s something that needs fixing in what the world views as masterpieces.

So stop thinking of all the what-ifs when you’ve already thought things through.

5) You’re Sometimes Too Controlling

Being concerned about the specifics can be a disadvantage if you begin ordering other people around.

We get it:

You want your life to go as planned.

However, your sense of control should not impede the freedom of others to do what they want.

You don’t get to order others around just because you’re feeling anxious about every little thing in life.

Otherwise, you might lose your friends.

This also applies to work when you boss around your coworkers every single time. You can suffer from social isolation if you don’t control yourself.

What can you do?

Trust them. Be critical only when necessary. Don’t make them feel like they can’t even do the most basic tasks without your assistance.

If you still feel insecure all the time, remember this:

Life is a series of ups and downs. It’s okay to not always get what you want. You don’t have to write down each and every detail about your future.

Learn to accept that some things are and should be out of your control. This way, you can spend your time and energy on aspects of your life that you can change.

6) You Work Your Way Backwards to Find a Solution

Detail-oriented people can readily identify the cause by looking at the effect.

It’s like how you solve a maze:

When you were a kid, you might have stumbled upon a drawing of a maze. But instead of putting your pencil at the starting point, you trace the correct path from the maze exit back to the entrance.

You know that an effect has to point back to a specific cause. So if your desktop computer breaks down, you don’t immediately replace the entire machine.

Instead, you take a more careful approach:

First, you identify the problem. Is the monitor showing a black screen? Is the keyboard not responding to your typing? Maybe the wireless printer isn’t working properly.

Being detail-oriented allows you to easily narrow down the list of possible causes.

How?

For one, you know that a system works because of its distinct, interconnected parts. And second, that each of these parts has a specific function.

So if a problem occurs, you just have to recall which part should be working in the first place to prevent it from happening.

7) You Like to Actively Observe

Everyone knows how to observe.

The difference?

Detail-oriented people do it better through active observation.

By this, we mean that your eyes don’t just hover from one object to another. Nor do you listen just because your ears can hear a conversation.

Active observation means knowing exactly where and when to look.

Here’s a good comparison:

Watching the news while you simply rest on the sofa for six hours a day is passive observation — it’s just information overload.

On the other hand, taking down notes and thinking of what you want to clarify is an example of active observation. You inspect what’s in front of you so that you see the many parts of the big story.

For detail-oriented people, it’s all about being critical of the information presented and concentrating on the key aspects to find a solution.

8) You Are Quick to Notice Change

Imagine this:

You return home after a long day at work. You take off your coat and hang it. You feed your dog like usual, but then you pause for a while.

You think to yourself: Did something change?

Soon, you notice that the laundry hamper was moved by half a meter. It turns out your dog was curious about the smell of dirty clothes.

The position of your laundry hamper isn’t important. It doesn’t affect your work output or whether you’ll have a good sleep or not tonight.

But that’s the thing with detail-oriented people:

They don’t let anything slip past them.

You just know when something doesn’t fit the overall picture. There’s an awareness that things aren’t the way you left them, and this affects your sense of control.

Detail-oriented people are like your friends who effortlessly spot all the differences between two similar-looking images.

9) You Value Numbers and Records

Numbers are your best friend. From managing your personal budget to checking company expenses, your eyes are glued to every single digit and computation.

What’s so great about this?

It means people can rely on you with their money and financial assets.

Your impeccable attention to detail—no matter how boring it is to look at spreadsheets all day long—allows you to properly allocate the remaining resources.

You don’t ignore the smallest errors. In the end, they’re all mistakes that need correcting to keep the whole system running smoothly.

How to Identify Detail-Oriented People

Overall, there are many characteristics that will help you determine if you’re a detail-oriented individual.

Perhaps you like to find patterns to understand complicated concepts, or you go through every process multiple times to ensure optimal performance.

But the key takeaway is this:

Don’t get all caught up with keeping count and verifying every little thing all the time.

Sometimes, you have to be content with your ideas so that you can finally put them into action.

After all, what’s the value of all those details if they’re not put to good use in the end?