Time Management or Sh*t I Almost Forgot to Write the PixieTip

Ah the trial and tribulations of being an Organic Freedom (NFP) in a Classic (SJ) and frankly Organic Structure (NFJ) and Smart Structure (NTJ) world. These are those types who thrive on calendars and structure, routine and lists. As for me, I’m not one for such tedious chores. Mostly I rely on routines (or what I like to call habits, which are routines, that I like to do) to keep me remembering things. Plus the baby gets up at 7 no matter how late we put her to bed and the kids have to get to school soon after. For the afternoon stuff I have a lot of alarms programmed on my phone. But every once in a while “Acts of God” occur and I’m thrown off my game.

The real problem is that I don’t have an alarm on my phone for PixieTips because when I like to do something I don’t forget to do it. Also I have a fun commitment every Wednesday and so I’ve also gotten into the habit of remembering that I need to do the PixieTip that night or the next and it serves as a reminder. But unfortunately I’ve been crazy sick the last week and am still recovering, so that’s my “Act of God” excuse. I don’t always need those afternoon alarms but when I’m thrown off my game by illness or something happening out of the ordinary — like said baby taking off her poopy diaper AGAIN after her nap and then having to have the requisite emergency Hazmat shower — then I screw up without an alarm. As in, I would have forgotten today to pick up my 8 year old without that daily alarm going off.

So what are we to do? Well Classics (SJs), Organic Structures (NFJs) and Smart Structures (NTJs) already know what to do. They have lists and routines, and they check their lists and calendars and stay on top of appointments and tasks during the day. They only forget when they don’t look at these essential time management devices. What about us Funs (SPs), Organic Freedoms (NFPs) and Smart Freedoms (NTPs)? Well, we all need secretaries, personal assistants, nannies and cooks, etc… ha ha. For those of us who can’t or don’t want to have these helpers then we need our routines or habits, especially the ones we like so we won’t forget the other stuff.

But we really really need those alarms to swim and survive with the rest of the world. We need to avail ourselves of modern technology. No longer does the red string on your finger have to suffice. Also, if possible, we need to take care of things as soon as we think of them. Even though those of us with the P’s at the end of our personality types tend to thrive on deadlines because it forces us to not make things perfect and therefore get things done, it also can cause stress us out. It’s not always fun, even for us, to do things at the last minute OR to arrive late for appointments — although I’m sure this is hard for Kelly to believe.

I’m kind of glad I forgot about this PixieTip until 6pm the night before because I’ve written it in record time due to the short deadline. Now, if I was working for someone else besides myself and my sister I might have been out of a job and that would suck. So first thing I’m going to do when I finish this? Program a new alarm into my phone. The alarm might annoy me because I tend to remember to do the PixieTip, but the next time the proverbial Sh*t hits the fan I will have a little more time to, I don’t know, maybe come up with a better idea for a PixieTip than forgetting stuff when I’ve forgotten stuff?