[MBTI General] NFP's, let's find the solution

[Amargith]

So, I'm trying to balance out that P-thing some more. And I was hoping to get some assistance from my ENFP-siblings and INFP-cousins, as we seem to be most alike. What has worked for you, and then I'm definitely asking those of you who are somewhat balanced in their P. Did you use a calender? Lists? Filofax? All of the above? What are your tricks to keep up with the real world?
Do you find it easy or exhausting to stick to a schedule? Of course, the insights of our NFJ friends is welcome as well

 

[Siegfried]

So, I'm trying to balance out that P-thing some more. And I was hoping to get some assistance from my ENFP-siblings and INFP-cousins, as we seem to be most alike. What has worked for you, and then I'm definitely asking those of you who are somewhat balanced in their P. Did you use a calender? Lists? Filofax? All of the above? What are your tricks to keep up with the real world?
Do you find it easy or exhausting to stick to a schedule? Of course, the insights of our NFJ friends is welcome as well

Hey, Ive made a prioritisation list for activities, whats neccessity, what can help to develop and ones less important, based on subjective good, longtevity, objective benefit. Hope that helps, now starting to implement it. Best to start with a general daily timetable, to make it easier.

 

[Amargith]

So do you like make one every morning or do you have a general one?

 

[Siegfried]

Still in the process of doing so. I say best to organise the more tedious things and don't organise your free time fun, that way you'll have an outlet for being flexible.

 

[CrystalViolet]

Try to make a point of doing at least one "have to do" thing each day. It's hard for me though. I consider myself lucky managing to get to work on time, I'm extra specially proud, if I make and take a cut lunch as well. One day of the week has to be free completely though from planned activities.

 

[Siegfried]

Try to make a point of doing at least one "have to do" thing each day. It's hard for me though. I consider myself lucky managing to get to work on time, I'm extra specially proud, if I make and take a cut lunch as well. One day of the week has to be free completely though from planned activities.

That'd be like the re-energising day for the week to look forward to that sounds like a good idea.

 

[BerberElla]

I have a white board planner that's huge and hard to miss lol, plus 2 smaller ones, the large one is above my pc and one is on my hallway wall and one is in my bedroom, and I back up all my "to do" stuff on my pc so that an alarm goes off to remind me what needs to be done and when.

I am really really forgetful and disorganised when I am not using them, I find that when I keep on top of updating them all then my life moves along a whole lot eaiser, the only thing is keeping on top of the planning gets exhausting after awhile and then I let it slip and it all goes back to pieces .

I even have to do lists for the kids, but again I can only manage it for a bit before I crack and feel mental exhaustion and get to a stage of being barely able to focus.

I have menu's created for each week in a month, so that I know what needs to be cooked, plus shopping lists to match each weeks menu.

Like I said, if I keep on top of it, it really works, it's just not the most natural state for me to be in, hence the crackery part.

 

[Ardea]

I rely on that STOMACH feeling that something is due soon. Yeah...

Other than that, I use calendars.

 

[BerberElla]

I rely on that STOMACH feeling that something is due soon. Yeah...

Other than that, I use calendars.

That usually hits me AFTER I have screwed up somehow lol like yesterday I double booked myself and as I went to one appointment I had a nagging feeling that I had left something undone, and then got a phone call from someone waiting outside my house wondering where the hell I was.

This is what happens when my organisation (as above) goes kaput.

 

[runvardh]

Next cellphone I'm getting will have a nice calendar feature so that I don't have to worry about carrying the extra book thing around which I always end up forgetting. I at least remember to take my cellphone everywhere.

 

[Amargith]

Try to make a point of doing at least one "have to do" thing each day. It's hard for me though. I consider myself lucky managing to get to work on time, I'm extra specially proud, if I make and take a cut lunch as well. One day of the week has to be free completely though from planned activities.

I recognize that! But I end up focussing so much on that one thing I need to do, which causes me to be inefficient with my time and not accomplish anything else. The one day a week free from planned activities is a good one though, I think I'll implement that.

That'd be like the re-energising day for the week to look forward to that sounds like a good idea.

yup

I have a white board planner that's huge and hard to miss lol, plus 2 smaller ones, the large one is above my pc and one is on my hallway wall and one is in my bedroom, and I back up all my "to do" stuff on my pc so that an alarm goes off to remind me what needs to be done and when.

I am really really forgetful and disorganised when I am not using them, I find that when I keep on top of updating them all then my life moves along a whole lot eaiser, the only thing is keeping on top of the planning gets exhausting after awhile and then I let it slip and it all goes back to pieces

I even have to do lists for the kids, but again I can only manage it for a bit before I crack and feel mental exhaustion and get to a stage of being barely able to focus.

I have menu's created for each week in a month, so that I know what needs to be cooked, plus shopping lists to match each weeks menu.

Like I said, if I keep on top of it, it really works, it's just not the most natural state for me to be in, hence the crackery part.

Wow, that sounds so tiring..how do you keep that up? But I get why you do it. I'm no mom, so I don't have that obligation, but with kids, you need order otherwise (so I'm told), you go nuts. The menu-planning thing is interesting to me..but I like to try out new recipes, so I'd have to somehow adapt that in there. But that would be a great improvement to our health as well, to plan that. Coz the reason we sometimes eat unhealthy is coz we just..well forgot about dinner *grin*

Next cellphone I'm getting will have a nice calendar feature so that I don't have to worry about carrying the extra book thing around which I always end up forgetting. I at least remember to take my cellphone everywhere.

Yeah...my cellphone is a problem. People know that mailing me is safer than texting or calling me.

Anyone have any experience with getting like a filofax? Could that work? I used to have one that was a wallet as well and well..then at least you do take it with you everywhere. It was 10 years ago though and I was even more rebelling against organization then than now, so I ended up forgetting to look in it or write stuff down in it.


Right now, I rely somewhat on calendars for far in the future social events, and other than that on that stomach feeling FemmeUrbane was describing *grin*

 

[CrystalViolet]

I have a white board planner that's huge and hard to miss lol, plus 2 smaller ones, the large one is above my pc and one is on my hallway wall and one is in my bedroom, and I back up all my "to do" stuff on my pc so that an alarm goes off to remind me what needs to be done and when.

I am really really forgetful and disorganised when I am not using them, I find that when I keep on top of updating them all then my life moves along a whole lot eaiser, the only thing is keeping on top of the planning gets exhausting after awhile and then I let it slip and it all goes back to pieces .

I even have to do lists for the kids, but again I can only manage it for a bit before I crack and feel mental exhaustion and get to a stage of being barely able to focus.

I have menu's created for each week in a month, so that I know what needs to be cooked, plus shopping lists to match each weeks menu.

Like I said, if I keep on top of it, it really works, it's just not the most natural state for me to be in, hence the crackery part.

Ack! Too organized! I'm impressed! I guess it's different for me, I only have myself to look after. Reading what you do to organize your self made me reliese how P I truly am. I save all my Jness for work.

 

[Laurie]

My latest is google calendars. (got the suggestion from an INTJ) I have it as my IE home page and my phone IE page. I can put in items from the computer or the phone. It sends me reminders a day before and an hour before.
http://www.google.com/calendar

I have serious issues with this having four kids in school now. And I have a disorganized second kid.. I'm in big trouble with that one since neither of us knows whats going on.

 

[Gamine]

My latest is google calendars. (got the suggestion from an INTJ) I have it as my IE home page and my phone IE page. I can put in items from the computer or the phone. It sends me reminders a day before and an hour before.
http://www.google.com/calendar

I have serious issues with this having four kids in school now. And I have a disorganized second kid.. I'm in big trouble with that one since neither of us knows whats going on.

I recently got into google calendars too, I'm finding it very useful as well. As long as I use it lol.

My P really interrupts me when after making a plan, I think of so many more appealing alternatives and have a hard time deciding. To help myself with this (my INTJ close friend made this awesome suggestion. I lurve them so ) I follow through on the first and most obviously best plan all the way through, adapting only when necessary and limiting growth in other areas that would detract from the main goal, and then at the end spend an hour or two making a new list of changes I wanted to make, what I would have done differently, what worked the best etc. (side note: I'm still in uni but I coordinate a lot of events, usually two or three a month with attendance of 50-200 people each, ranging in topic from fundraisers, academic functions, meet&greets with possible employers, sponsorship meetings etc. Apparently I'm most organized and happy when I'm crushingly busy. Is this is a sick ENFP thing? Mayhaps...)

For daily planning, I now keep my lists and appointments in the same plain journal that I write my wonderings in. Any "random" thought or question I come up with during the day, I now write them down ASAP in this book so I can find out the answer later when I get home. The journal probably reads like a schizo's diary, but I'm motivated to write in it because then I get to steal a moment to gather new information and find new ideas to explore.

 

[Moiety]

By-the-book is for pussies. Why reject our very essence? Play and let play!

 

[Laurie]

<snip>I follow through on the first and most obviously best plan all the way through, adapting only when necessary and limiting growth in other areas that would detract from the main goal<snip>

Ahaha I used to be so concerned with making the right decision that I could hardly chose which solitaire pile to click the next card on if there were two of the same card available. Now my hard and fast rule is that I have to click the one closest to the right because they usually have the most cards in it. I'm a weirdo!

I have something planned online the same weekend that my kids school is having an event that we arent planning to go to. I think I will have to change the online event because I can't stand the thought of not being able to go to the school event at the last moment.

 

[Rachelinpa]

Post-its.

 

[kiddykat]

Planners are a DEFINITE no-go for me. Every time I buy one, it's automatically useless.

Lists? Every time I make one, I somehow forget it at home.

Stickies- YES, probably the only thing that works best for me besides my favorite calendar (that I flip through every once in while).. or note cards.. I just plop it in my wallet. It's big enough to stick out, easy to remember to pull out.

[FYI- Stickies are nice to put on the car window, dashboard, just as a reminder not to forget anything b4 leaving zhe house..]

 

[PeaceBaby]

Hmm, I'll chime in I guess too.

First, I have a large whiteboard on the side of the fridge (like BerberElla.) My hubby is ESTJ so he loves to be the person who updates it (so naturally I encourage him to.) This organizes the weekly tasks so the big things are much less likely to fall through the cracks. He will typically make chore-oriented to-do lists as well, so I let him do that thinking.

Second, I have a daytimer (paper planner; two pages a day.) Since I work on the computer, it is refreshing to use a pen & paper to take notes and organize my tasks. When I say organize, realize this is not list perfection; I write down enough ideas and tasks as they come to my mind to keep me busy for a year or so. But the daytimer means I don't generally forget the important details.

Work meetings: I use Outlook. Love the reminders (thank goodness for the reminders.) Groceries: a master list in the kitchen where the whole family is obligated to write down what they used up. If it's not on the list, I don't buy it. Therefore, everyone has learned to write stuff down (I have two teenagers, so this is easier.) I have tried the monthly meal planning, but can only manage a week or so at a time. Plus, we have a big freezer, so I buy in bulk to have raw ingredients on hand to make lots of ideas on the fly.

And finally, I find just before bed is when lots of little to-do's pop into my mind, so I keep a pen & paper by the bed to write 'em down.

Hope that helps! It doesn't feel natural to be this organized, but I have come to accept it since getting this kind of stuff out of the way is more freeing in the end!

And use your assets! One of mine is an ESTJ hubby, and I have learned over the years to harness that energy - with a little forethought on my part, I can help channel it to everyone's benefit!

 

[raindancing]

What day is it?




Yes, I seriously have trouble with this! (but I do work from home and don't really need to know... at least in my opinion )