We've been through Introvert vs. Extravert. Now let's tackle Perceiving (P - favors openness and play) vs. Judging (J - favors closure and accomplishment). Nothing makes a project more interesting than having a P and a J as co-leads. I know because Ed (P) and I (J) are 'blessed' with this dynamic in our marriage. Checklists, we're finding, perfectly illustrate how P vs. J plays out in our home. We both keep lists... but not in the same way. We differ specifically in the areas of: (A) Creating, (B) Sorting and (C) Managing lists.CREATING THE CHECKLIST:
Check out this actual 'To Do' list from 1994. We were packing for a trip to 'Cornerstone' music festival. Can you identify the P items - vs. the J items?
1. Pack
2. Transfer Money
3. Kiss
4. Relax
5. Mud Boots
6. Smile
7. Be positive and calm, or close your eyes
SORTING THE CHECKLIST:
ED: "Wait! That doesn't go there; the fun stuff's supposed to go at the top of the checklist so we're in a better mood to do our work."
VONDA: "No - that's absolutely not how it works. The work stuff goes BEFORE the fun stuff; then we can actually enjoy doing the fun stuff later without thinking about the work stuff still on the list."
ED: "I'm going to steal your list and put fun stuff at the top of it."
VONDA: "Fine. I'm going to steal your XBox and put a stack of work on top of IT!"
MANAGING THE CHECKLIST:
VONDA: Places a neat, pristine checkmark next to a checklist item.
ED: "What are you doing? Why not just cross the whole thing off?"
VONDA: "Because the whole point is to mark the item as completed while maintaining easy-viewing capability for maximum satisfaction. What's the point if you can't still see what you've already accomplished??"
ED: "No - the point is to cross it off and NOT think about it anymore. I'm going to steal the list and cross stuff off it."
VONDA: "Step AWAY from the list and no one gets hurt."
ED: "Step away from the list?!? Thank God; where's my XBox?"
Can I get an 'amen', anyone?
12 comments:
Hello, I came to check out your blog. I love it. I've now added it to my favorite's so I can keep up to date with your family. Eva is absolutely beautiful and you & Ed will be wonderful parents. Love you, Jennifer
I am totally with you on this one. I always need to have an organized list. I like to have a list going for just about anything. I feel so much better when the things I need to do are neatly organized on paper. Then I go do them as fast as possible, because I am so eager to check things off my list.
I'm gonna go with you on this one. Have to get the work out of the way so that you can in fact enjoy the fun stuff with no work in front of you.
On the other hand playing XBox would be fun right now...
I originally tested as a "P" and later tasted as a "J". I so would NEVER completely cross off an item on my list. The whole point of my list is for the satisfaction of seeing the accomplished work.
Amen. I'm a super strong J, as you know. And Wade's a P. Got a chuckle out of your post. Love you.
I just read this with my list in front of me.
It has thick black lines through the completed items.
I actually went to the supply room to try to find a THICKER marker with which to cross things off my list.
I'm a P, by the way.
I have strong p-ness.
Hey Vonda says I'm a "J", but I cross those suckers off like there's no tomorrow, sometimes like 10 times. The satisfaction comes in the action of swiping the marker across the listed item multiple times, to ensure the item on the list does not come back alive. Who cares what it was you did, at least you know it was done! Maybe I don't have as much "J-ness" as you think! Lil sis.
Dear lil' sis: YOU"RE the one who scored a high 'J' on her MB test, little Miss 'I-liked-to-organize-my-sock-drawer-for-fun-when-I-was-THREE!' ;-) God did bust the mold wide open with you though - I've always been sure of that... :-)
I am a list person also. In fact I will often put something on my list that I have already done just so I can cross it out. Makes me feel so good!
Careangel...gasp--I do that, too. Didn't know I wasn't alone!
I've justified it, though, by telling myself I'm doing that so IN CASE I were to forget I completed the task and then try to remember what that task had been later, it won't plague me because it will already be both recorded and checked off!
...Made more sense in my head.
Ha! Careangel... glad I'm not the only one! :-)
KJ - jynx! I believe we both just left pretty much the same comment at 11:43 PM... I came home and Ed was already in bed sleeping. Doh! :-)
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