Recurring actions
- Thread starter North
- Start date
There are two sides to this problem. One is getting your daughter to tell you in time. The other is being organised enough to get enough cat food in.
It sounds like you are spending a lot of time and effort tackling the first problem. It might even be worth it from a parenting point of view. But until you and your daughter manage to sort it, there will always be this small thing that you are ultimately responsible for that you don't have a proper handle on.
May I suggest that in addition to encouraging your daughter to tell you in advance, you also check yourself before you go for your weekly shop. That might mean asking your daughter if there is enough cat food for the coming week or it might be seeing how full the box is yourself.
Maybe you shouldn't have to do it yourself, but you might find it less hassle to just check quickly.
It sounds like you are spending a lot of time and effort tackling the first problem. It might even be worth it from a parenting point of view. But until you and your daughter manage to sort it, there will always be this small thing that you are ultimately responsible for that you don't have a proper handle on.
May I suggest that in addition to encouraging your daughter to tell you in advance, you also check yourself before you go for your weekly shop. That might mean asking your daughter if there is enough cat food for the coming week or it might be seeing how full the box is yourself.
Maybe you shouldn't have to do it yourself, but you might find it less hassle to just check quickly.
North;97871 said:
I think the responses you have had reflect how implementation-dependent recurring actions are, and the neutrality of gtd to implementation. You can put daily recurring next actions on your calendar, on a next action list, or on a checklist. Whatever works so that you see it when you need to. If taking pills is part of a project or an area of focus for you, then that's what it is, but how that is reflected in your system depends on your system. You could have a system where all next actions are entered on 3x5 cards, which I would find unworkable. Checklists are good for medium-size lists of repetitive actions, particularly for not overwhelming next action lists or calendar. If I had ONE recurring item like 'take pills', I could put it on a list or on a calendar; either would work.
Re cat food: You can hide away an emergency stash and hope you never use it while
you also teach your daughter to be reliable somehow. ("Thank you for telling me:
you showed reliability.")
You can take some from the big bag, seal it into a smaller bag, put it back
either inside or near the big bag, and tell your daughter to tell you whenever
she's using from the small bag.
Better wording than I suggested earlier: for the note: "Buy cat food. (Put
this note on the kitchen counter when you open this.)" (Or in Mummy's inbox.)
For what to say to your daughter: "You have a choice: you can show
responsibility by telling me when there are enough
days of cat food left to last until the next time I go to the store, which might be
a week or less, or you can show responsibility by going to the store
yourself to get more." Said calmly and matter-of-factly.
Similar methods can also apply when you're the only one using a supply of something.
For some things, I have some set aside in a different location, or which are of a different
or even purposely an inferior quality, so that when I'm using them I'm painfully aware
of the need to replenish.
you also teach your daughter to be reliable somehow. ("Thank you for telling me:
you showed reliability.")
You can take some from the big bag, seal it into a smaller bag, put it back
either inside or near the big bag, and tell your daughter to tell you whenever
she's using from the small bag.
Better wording than I suggested earlier: for the note: "Buy cat food. (Put
this note on the kitchen counter when you open this.)" (Or in Mummy's inbox.)
For what to say to your daughter: "You have a choice: you can show
responsibility by telling me when there are enough
days of cat food left to last until the next time I go to the store, which might be
a week or less, or you can show responsibility by going to the store
yourself to get more." Said calmly and matter-of-factly.
Similar methods can also apply when you're the only one using a supply of something.
For some things, I have some set aside in a different location, or which are of a different
or even purposely an inferior quality, so that when I'm using them I'm painfully aware
of the need to replenish.
I really have to jump back in here. I am tickled... totally tickled at the interest and fabulous suggestions my dog food situation has elicited.
I will definitely add the emergency stash suggestion to my arsenal!
But I have to clarify that my daughter (she's my step-daughter, so I take no credit for how rockin' incredible she is) is extremely responsible. When I was a kid and my dad would say, "Dena, can you empty the trash?" it would not have occurred to me to just, you know, do it. Right then. Not later that same day. But she does it. Right then. I think she does it simply because one of us asked, not out of fear of repercussions. And she does it with a smile, and an "OK, love you!" So we tend to deal with things like running out of stuff with a laugh and a nudge.
So the tickler has solved our replenishment issues - love that tickler - and we haven't had to rush to the store for several months now!
And I think I still owe my dad quite a few apologies for lax habits and delayed chores. Picking up the phone now...
Dena
I will definitely add the emergency stash suggestion to my arsenal!
But I have to clarify that my daughter (she's my step-daughter, so I take no credit for how rockin' incredible she is) is extremely responsible. When I was a kid and my dad would say, "Dena, can you empty the trash?" it would not have occurred to me to just, you know, do it. Right then. Not later that same day. But she does it. Right then. I think she does it simply because one of us asked, not out of fear of repercussions. And she does it with a smile, and an "OK, love you!" So we tend to deal with things like running out of stuff with a laugh and a nudge.
So the tickler has solved our replenishment issues - love that tickler - and we haven't had to rush to the store for several months now!
And I think I still owe my dad quite a few apologies for lax habits and delayed chores. Picking up the phone now...
Dena
Suelin23
Simplicity on the far side of complexity
Checklists
If a checklist does not hold recurring actions, then what would it have?
I have a morning checklist, evening checklist, weekend checklist and shopping checklist (dog food is on this list).
These checklists are full of recurring actions, and I decide if I'm doing them or not each time I review the checklist. They include things like exercise, brush teeth, update budget spreadsheet, cleaning tasks etc.
I don't have to remember anything except to check my checklists, and that puts my mind at ease.
If a checklist does not hold recurring actions, then what would it have?
I have a morning checklist, evening checklist, weekend checklist and shopping checklist (dog food is on this list).
These checklists are full of recurring actions, and I decide if I'm doing them or not each time I review the checklist. They include things like exercise, brush teeth, update budget spreadsheet, cleaning tasks etc.
I don't have to remember anything except to check my checklists, and that puts my mind at ease.
Suelin23;97985 said:
The only other reasonable possibility I can think of is things that only occur once.
Example: Things to buy at the grocery store today.
Example: Things to bring on this particular trip when travelling (if the
trip is sufficiently unique that it's not worthwhile to save the checklist
for future trips).
Example: Things to mention to a particular person in a particular conversation.
Oogiem
0
Of your examples my experience is that only number 3 is one I use regularly. Something I buy at the grocery store today I will inevitably need to buy again some day so it's better to save it on a list somewhere and then just mark that I need it again. (one reason I use a shopping app for my shopping lists). I don't travel much anymore so number 2 while possible was not my experience when I was traveling but I can see how it might be possible. Number 3 is the only one I ever really have and I just add those things to a waiting for/agenda list for the person.cwoodgold;98118 said:
I think it depends on how in your face you want your checklists to be. I use checklists in my tickler file for when I get to work and for when I get home (even have one for leaving for work in the morning, so I don't forget my wallet, or heaven forbid, coffee). When I get to work I pop out my "things to do when you get to work" checklist, do them, then pop it into the next day's folder. These checklists I generally don't care about until I walk into the office.
For something that I don't want to know about until that day but that I want emphasized (such as submitting a status report) I will attach a sticky note to the checklist in my tickler file. When this comes out of the tickler file and into the inbox the next action lists get updated and the sticky goes on my monitor to annoy me and guilt trip me until I get the thing done. Sometimes things in my tickler will go into my inbox and then onto my action list but not get done that day because of other priorities. The sticky prevents this by distracting me until I get it resolved.
If I really really want to not forget something that I know I need to do but can't do right now I'll put a reminder on the calendar, the actual checklist / item in the tickler file, and a pre-event tickler as well (as was mentioned). This is really in my face and hard to forget. I only do this for things that I absolutely must not forget, like wife's birthday or big presentations to the customer.
For the vitamin thing, I would put a mini-tickler file next to the coffee maker. This may be different for you but for me that’s the first thing I'm going to grab in the morning and I'll do my little morning checklist without even thinking about it (mostly because I can't, I'm not caffeinated yet). I would then modify the reoccurring checklist as you changed your health plan. I have a tickler file at work and at home (but one list of action items) because the types of things that go in both of those are really disjoint. My @home activities really start in the evening and I empty my home tickler file and start processing. My daily chores list and movie ideas lists are in there so if I were taking daily vitamins I would put a reminder there.
For reoccurring projects what it seems like you need (and I would be very happy with as well) is a template that would auto-generate some NAs on some day. Every day / week / month the project would be added to your project list and the default NAs populated to their corresponding contexts. Probably even an email reminder so that you could get a heads up that a new project has already been started and you have default accepted it into your workload. I don't know of any digital tool that does this. Best I could come up with is a paper list of the project NAs and you place this in your tickler to be re-entered every time the project occurs.
Remember that an item on your action list can be done immediately if you are in the right context. Things on your calendar or in your tickler have no immediate actions. The calendar just gives you a bigger view of your work and allows you to stress more. If vitamins are important enough to worry about them before you can do anything about them then you start using your calendar. If not, throw them in a tickler file.
FYI, I have been searching for a digital version of a tickler file that will email me something on a particular date. Haven't found anything yet, or at least not something I would trust with work material.
For something that I don't want to know about until that day but that I want emphasized (such as submitting a status report) I will attach a sticky note to the checklist in my tickler file. When this comes out of the tickler file and into the inbox the next action lists get updated and the sticky goes on my monitor to annoy me and guilt trip me until I get the thing done. Sometimes things in my tickler will go into my inbox and then onto my action list but not get done that day because of other priorities. The sticky prevents this by distracting me until I get it resolved.
If I really really want to not forget something that I know I need to do but can't do right now I'll put a reminder on the calendar, the actual checklist / item in the tickler file, and a pre-event tickler as well (as was mentioned). This is really in my face and hard to forget. I only do this for things that I absolutely must not forget, like wife's birthday or big presentations to the customer.
For the vitamin thing, I would put a mini-tickler file next to the coffee maker. This may be different for you but for me that’s the first thing I'm going to grab in the morning and I'll do my little morning checklist without even thinking about it (mostly because I can't, I'm not caffeinated yet). I would then modify the reoccurring checklist as you changed your health plan. I have a tickler file at work and at home (but one list of action items) because the types of things that go in both of those are really disjoint. My @home activities really start in the evening and I empty my home tickler file and start processing. My daily chores list and movie ideas lists are in there so if I were taking daily vitamins I would put a reminder there.
For reoccurring projects what it seems like you need (and I would be very happy with as well) is a template that would auto-generate some NAs on some day. Every day / week / month the project would be added to your project list and the default NAs populated to their corresponding contexts. Probably even an email reminder so that you could get a heads up that a new project has already been started and you have default accepted it into your workload. I don't know of any digital tool that does this. Best I could come up with is a paper list of the project NAs and you place this in your tickler to be re-entered every time the project occurs.
Remember that an item on your action list can be done immediately if you are in the right context. Things on your calendar or in your tickler have no immediate actions. The calendar just gives you a bigger view of your work and allows you to stress more. If vitamins are important enough to worry about them before you can do anything about them then you start using your calendar. If not, throw them in a tickler file.
FYI, I have been searching for a digital version of a tickler file that will email me something on a particular date. Haven't found anything yet, or at least not something I would trust with work material.
artsinaction;97949 said:
You're quite right. Some of the things I suggested were too harsh.
I'm thinking about this more as a an interesting example that
I and others may learn something from, than to find
any more suggestions for you, so I hope you don't mind if I continue
the discussion.
I was wondering: how to give the child opportunities to learn responsibility
smoothly and pleasantly, i.e. while the parent models civility and cooperation
rather than harshness and punishment?
I thought, how about when the child says "I've just used up the dog food,"
you could say "Thanks, you showed responsibility by telling me that.
... and, next time you can show even more responsibility by telling me when
there are only about 5 or 10 days of dog food left!"
But that sounds like a criticism and deflates the compliment.
So then I thought: you can just say "Thanks, you showed responsibility by telling me that!" And then, when there are about 3 weeks of dog food left, you can
tell the child, "If you ever notice there are only a couple of weeks or less
of dog food left, you can show responsibility by telling me." The idea here is
that the child can relatively easily remember to tell you a few days later.
If however the child immediately replies, "Actually, there are only a couple
of weeks of dog food left right now," you can give a positive reply like
"Oh, thanks for telling me! OK, I'll make a note to buy more."
(Not "oops, this isn't working, I was supposed to warn you a week earlier"
or something.)
This way, the child is learning a skill which will be of long-term use to the
child throughout the child's adult life: noticing when a supply of something is getting low
and doing something about it. And then if for some reason your tickle
file doesn't work and you don't buy the dog food, the child may usefully
remind you.
Maybe an easier way to start: when you want to check how much
dog food is left, instead of looking yourself, ask the child: "About how much
dog food is left right now?" The child may not be good at estimating
the number of days of food left; just accept that it's going to be very
approximate and don't criticize; the child may naturally get better at
that with time. If the child just says "Oh, lots!" then you can say
"Thanks. And let me know if you ever happen to notice it's less than about
half a bag." And still ask again every couple of weeks.
Generally, a positive response "Thanks for telling me!", (not "Why didn't
you tell me earlier?" or "Oh, no! I'll have to change my plans for the day!")
will encourage the child to approach you with that sort of information.
Cathy
mcogilvie;97939 said:
You can also literally "put it in front of the door": I do that with things I'm planning
to bring with me.
Not everything has to be written down. Some things, like "eat lunch", we may just
remember on our own without a reminder. Other things can be in a physical
location: If I already have a habit of using breakfast cereal every morning, I
can put a vitamin bottle beside (or in front of, or taped onto) the breakfast cereal
so I'll notice them. For some things, I find it's more pleasant, and a few seconds
less time-consuming, to work with
physical things rather than having to read a checklist. I think that's quite within
the spirit of GTD: as long as you put it in a trusted system, it doesn't necessarily
have to be a written system.
Defibaugh;98303 said:
I'm on a UNIX system at work and I put "mailx" commands in my crontab to send myself
an email on a particular day of the year or recurring emails on particular days of the week or month etc.
If you don't trust systems "out there" on the Internet that send you emails like that,
perhaps you could sign up for more than one different system (if you can find them) and arrange for them
each to send you an email. Then if one of them fails you'd still get at least one reminder.
If you're not on a UNIX system but you're able to write programs, perhaps you could
write one that runs all the time (with a keepalive script to re-start it if it stops for
any reason) and/or that starts every time you turn on your computer, that checks the
current date-time and its own records of whether it's already sent emails, and sends you
emails on or after dates and times you list. I could write a program like that fairly easily, but
perhaps ironically only on a UNIX (or Linux) system!
... maybe this should be on the other forum about gear and software. You might want to try asking there.
North;98211 said:I wish.There are more ways to not get things done than forum-dwelling, and I'm a grandmaster in a couple of them.
LOL!
Sometimes I take advantage of procrastination: if I procrastinate really hard
on doing one thing, I'll just naturally find myself filling in the time by
doing a bunch of other useful things I'd been putting off.