Get Everything Done

My wife often asks me to do things, and sometimes I remember to put them in AF. But it may be better if she adds them to my AF list herself...

Does anyone have any experience / tips / thoughts / pitfalls of this course of action?

Martyn

My gut feeling is this is a bad idea.

If you did it I'd agree with Mrs Martyn that anything she enters must have been discussed with you first.

I've been trying a similar approach (in the other direction) with my 11-year-old son. We both write things on his list. I'm partly doing this to help him get started with the idea, and partly to help him remember stuff he's supposed to be doing.

We're just getting started and it's really just a summertime experiment. He tends to be scattered in many directions, but can have single-minded focus on a particular task for a very long time. Kind of like his father. :-)

We're not sure if this is really going to work for him, but if it's successful, we'll try to continue it during the school year. I'll let you know how it works out.

Man of Kent:

Discussing each item first would miss the point of simplifying the process of adding tasks to the list, and avoiding me forgetting adding them to the list (my notebook isn't always with me). Also, it volates a principle of AF itself -- that tasks should go on the list without any filtering.

Seraphim:

I would be interested to know how that works out, and may try it with my 12-year-old.

Mark:

I think your answer is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but she wouldn't be allowed to process the list (oh no), just add to the end of it.

Martyn (Man of Bath & North East Somerset)

Martyn, I think that the point is, if she does add to your list, she has to be aware that the items could be eventually dismissed. It will not be a honey-do list, but a honey-do-or-dismiss!

Mark,

<< If you did it I'd agree with Mrs Martyn that anything she enters must have been discussed with you first. >>

... or explain the "dismissal" concept to her!

ROTFLMAO ;-) I'm really becoming a fan of your 1/2 sentence replies ;-)

Natalia,

>>> Martyn, I think that the point is, if she does add to your list, she has to be aware that the items could be eventually dismissed. It will not be a honey-do list, but a honey-do-or-dismiss! <<<

Which is why I would opt for putting it on the list myself. In that case, it is really meant to be done. If you let others put items on your list it seems to me that it somehow corrupts the basic idea of it. You can't have any attention to do the item, it just magically appears.

OTOH, Mark as talked about the way AF "filters" things by its dismissal rule, so it will filter the wife's todos without explanation and that might make for tough times, if you know what I mean. Much better to have her ask you to do X, and you have a chance to discuss it, what it will cost, what else will slip, who else might better do it, should Y actually be done instead, is it really something that you won't get around to until the next ice age, etc.

Or you could go with my dad's approach...... The two most important words for a long and happy marriage, "Yes dear", followed by almost no action whatsoever.

Man,

>>> Or you could go with my dad's approach...... The two most important words for a long and happy marriage, "Yes dear", followed by almost no action whatsoever. <<<

ROTF ;-) But you have to wonder how women put up with us!