When it comes to our projects at work, we tend to take them seriously. There are kickoff meetings, project plans, responsibilities, schedules, task lists, and a host of other activities to make sure we achieve the best result we can.
However, when it comes to our personal lives, things are a little more relaxed. We talk to our partners about projects only as they become necessary, we create resolutions that are quickly abandoned, and the most complicated planning tool we use is a wall calendar.
Many years ago I was fortunate to attend a training seminar by David Allen about his well-known time management book "Getting Things Done", and one of the things that stuck out to me was his suggestion to treat personal time as carefully as time at work. For example, he said that him and his wife have physical inboxes at home to communicate mundane information back and forth, such as bills and shopping lists, so that their limited time together in person can be spent on more interesting topics.
I've found success adapting this philosophy with my own partner at home. Like David Allen's inboxes, we use email and Slack for routine conversation so our time together in-person is more fun. We have meetings to talk about goals and projects, and do regular recaps to talk about how things are going and what could go better.
I think this approach will only continue to grow in popularity. A few years ago, I had the idea of creating a system to manage and keep in touch with personal contacts with the same guidance and regularity as salespeople keep in touch with their clients. Today, there are multiple apps that function as "personal CRMs". Basecamp is the best software for business teams to work together, and a few months ago they released their personal edition (for free! Go get it) for people to manage their households.
Ultimately, managing and giving personal lives with the same attention we give our work is a good thing. We've spent years making things easier, better, and more powerful in our work. Why not bring some of these great ideas home?