How to coordinate with spouse (or significant other)

[Scott716]

Any tips on how to coordinate projects, next actions, and calendars with a spouse (or significant other)?

Any good processes or tools?

For instance, magazines used to pile up between my spouse and me. We probably get 20 magazines, professional and personal. Our solution: keep all common magazines in one pile, and if I have read a magazine, I rip off the top right corner. My spouse rips off the bottom right corner. This way, we know if the other has read a magazine and we can throw it out much sooner.

We also keep separate inboxes for our mail, incoming personal magazines, and notes.

To coordinate calendars and Next Actions, we sit down each evening (or less frequently if necessary) and go over upcoming next actions and appointments. For instance, we make it clear who is picking up the groceries, who is doing the cooking, who is going to be stopping by, when the landscaper is coming, etc.)

I make it clear to my spouse which items I have completed -- I did pick up the prescription, I did write the thank you note to Ms. Jones, I did conquer Albania. This really helps my spouse know that things are getting accomplished and it avoids open loops where one of us has to ask "Did you ever do..."

By the way, since I have been using GTD for about 1 1/2 years, my spouse almost never needs to follow-up with me on anything and ask "Did you do...." because it gets done.

Any other suggestions?

 

[TesTeq]

Your system is great.

I think your system is great and especially I like this sentence:

To coordinate calendars and Next Actions, we sit down each evening (or less frequently if necessary) and go over upcoming next actions and appointments.

We should spent more time with our partners.

 

[tjisolutions]

Any good processes or tools?

To coordinate calendars and Next Actions.

Any other suggestions?

My wife and I generally communicate everyday and we both use yahoo calendar with read rights to each others information...

If she wants me to go to something or if something needs to be on my calendar she sends me an invite.

It works great for communication between two people

 

[eigenwave]

Any tips on how to coordinate projects, next actions, and calendars with a spouse (or significant other)?

Any good processes or tools?

For instance, magazines used to pile up between my spouse and me. We probably get 20 magazines, professional and personal. Our solution: keep all common magazines in one pile, and if I have read a magazine, I rip off the top right corner. My spouse rips off the bottom right corner. This way, we know if the other has read a magazine and we can throw it out much sooner.

We also keep separate inboxes for our mail, incoming personal magazines, and notes.

To coordinate calendars and Next Actions, we sit down each evening (or less frequently if necessary) and go over upcoming next actions and appointments. For instance, we make it clear who is picking up the groceries, who is doing the cooking, who is going to be stopping by, when the landscaper is coming, etc.)

I make it clear to my spouse which items I have completed -- I did pick up the prescription, I did write the thank you note to Ms. Jones, I did conquer Albania. This really helps my spouse know that things are getting accomplished and it avoids open loops where one of us has to ask "Did you ever do..."

By the way, since I have been using GTD for about 1 1/2 years, my spouse almost never needs to follow-up with me on anything and ask "Did you do...." because it gets done.

Any other suggestions?

Perhaps you may want to consider Backpack, http://www.backpackit.com.

-Rod

 

[pageta]

I would suggest a family calendar with big enough spaces to record all of your appointments (for both of you). For example, my dh is in grad school and I write down all of his assignments and when they are due on our family calendar so I know when he's facing a deadline and needs to make sure he has time to study.

The other thing I would suggest would be a community next action and project lists. Just get a simple notebook and make it your household notebook. You can have a page for next actions, a list of current projects, and important names and phone numbers (plumber, auto mechanic, etc.). Keep it in the kitchen next to the phone and you'll always have it handy and read to use.

Good luck!

 

[tulipcowgirl]

I would suggest a family calendar with big enough spaces to record all of your appointments (for both of you).

This is one of the best things to do, especially if your spouse or s.o. is not on the same page as you regarding GTD. My husband does not know what GTD is. But I can use GTD concepts to keep us in sync with each other. I find the format of the information is the key. I need something big, in his face that he can't miss each morning. That way he can't say that I didn't tell him I was having dinner with a friend this evening.

You can get a big calendar at any office supply store, but I am partial to the Pentagram Typography calendares at www.kenknight.com.

I am going to try the 'community' next action and projects list. It might motivate him to GTD.

We also use Outlook. Both of us use the computer for most of our workday. When appointments come up we invite each other and respond and add the appt to our calendar. But I rely more upon our wall calendar at home. It never crashes.