In 500 words or less...

As I've been working on my b-school essays, I keep wondering, "Why is it so hard to write about yourself?" I've come up with a few theories.

1. Avoid being perceived as arrogant - As I'm writing, I do want to stress the my strengths and acknowledge my shortcomings, but I don't want to come off sounding like I'm a total 'hot shot' nor do I want my accomplishments completely dismissed. I have a hard time striking this balance.
2. Share something interesting - I recently asked a good friend to review one of my early drafts and he truthfully commented, "This whole section is boring." As I write, I need to reflect on accomplishments that really matter and ask myself why they matter and what impact they've had on me or an organization. On the other hand, it's possible that I'm just not that interesting.
   
3. Find relevance - Something I find interesting probably won't appeal to another reader. For instance, I can talk about the CRM systems I've helped build at work, but at the end of the day, who's really interested in that? I've also challenged myself to not dwell in the details and talking about a situation, but trying to focus on why a situation mattered or why I decided to take on a challenge.

Any other thoughts? I can't wait to be done with my essays!