Recently, I spent almost a week in California, taking care my adorable granddaughter while my daughter and son-in-law got ready to move to Seattle. If you’ve ever moved, and we all have, you know what a huge undertaking that was.
Like me, my daughter prefers to get things done in advance. She started packing weeks ahead of the move date. My son-in-law is the opposite—he works best under pressure. He didn’t really get into move mode until several days before the move, then worked basically round the clock to pack his stuff and finish what was left.
Regardless which type person you are, both ways get you to the end result of completing your task. But the getting there is what can cause irritation. My daughter and son-in-law seem very compatible and accepting of their differences.
Which got me thinking. How do people cope when a spouse, partner or other family member works in ways that are different from theirs?
Some people work best under pressure. Others like to complete their projects in advance. Which are you—do you prefer to complete projects in advance, do you work best under pressure, or do you fall somewhere in-between? How do you deal with the people in your life who are the opposite of you?
Until next month,
Ann… the advance planner (unless I’m not :-) )
www.annroth.net
5 comments:
dh and I are polar opposites. He is the Lord of Lists. And he ompletes his lists every day. I work on the manana theory. Does it really need to be done today? When he takes me to the store for groceries it can take three hours as he has twenty seven other places to stop along the way. lol How do we get along? with lots of love.
Oh, Linda! You two need a few tons of patience with each other. :-) I think your solution is terrific--lots of love.
It depends on what I have to do!
From MarcieR
OOh, interesting comment, Marcie. I can think of lots of stuff I prefer to put off. But then, once I get it done, I always feel so good.
I think the reason I like to get things done in advance has to do with my mom. She sorta drummed the advice in to me. When I was newly married, Mom was in grad school. She had a thesis due, which needed to be turned in so that she could get her master's degree. She finished the thesis early, and a lucky thing. Two days before the paper was due, her father died. Mom was always grateful she'd finished early, or she might never have been able to--a really good lesson I have never forgotten.
I love planning. But my husband is the king of the impulse. Makes life very interesting.
We've come to a compromise that if he needs me somewhere, he has to give me a time frame, then I can get my stuff done before we leave.
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