What kinds of tasks would you like an assistant to help with? Are they things you don’t like doing, or would you just do even more of what you like?
Share why if you wish.
Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions
What kinds of tasks would you like an assistant to help with? Are they things you don’t like doing, or would you just do even more of what you like?
Share why if you wish.
I highlight, underline, and have been known to write extensive notes in the margins of the books I own and read. Such activities make the material accessible to me some time in the future when I need to offer a factoid or argument to an important conversation. However, I really wish all the text (of which there is a lot per book) was typed up for future use. I know that when this is done, I am able to review the material with greater ease and applicability. In fact, I’ve done so with a small handful of books that have become very impactful for me.
So, if I had an assistant, I would charge them with typing up the highlights, underlined material, and margin notes for the books I read. I have scores of books they could get a start on right now.
Or, for two completely different tasks, during warmer months I’d have them help me water my garden regularly and in the winter I’d have them shovel my sidewalk whenever needed.
I would have someone carry things for me–carry my gym bag/yoga stuff to and from walking to work or the car, carry the groceries and so many other things from the car parked in the detached garage on the other side of our lot, lug the wash up and down two flights of stairs; the list can go on.
Rebecca I love your idea and I would love one of those too!
Michael, bet you could score a lot of points with Rebecca if you assist her with this. I’m trying this out at my house, and I’m sure it’s going to be appreciated.
I already have an assistant, my spouse. The only problem is she draws the line on paperwork. So I need another assistant to set up and maintain a good filing system and convert a lot of the paper to computer files (or shred it). When that’s done, I need someone to put my handwritten journals on the computer. (after I go through and delete the embarrassing parts). I kept a journal on spiral notebooks for years and they just sit there, collecting dust. I still journal, but now I do it on MS Word. I’d like my assistant to help me edit the journals and create a book for my grandchildren. Great question! Thanks for asking. Actually, now that I think about it, there’s no reason I can’t do this myself, now that I’m “retired”. Somebody please check back with me this time next year and see how it’s going.
Tom:
I want an assistant for that too. One thing I’ve done is scanned all my old written journals into electronic files. (I have a great scanner.) But what I really want is everything to be typed out and put into some journal application — like “Day One” — so all my entries can be in one place and in one format. Thanks for posting!
Stay Snazzy!
Michael
More thoughts on my assistant. I’m thinking now of my faith in Jesus. The Holy Bible is full of promises of God’s assistance, both day in and day out, and in times of trouble. Psalm 91 comes to mind immediately. We can ask God for help and He/She will answer. And we don’t need much faith. One of my favorite prayers is “I believe, help my unbelief!” (see Chapter 9 of Mark’s Gospel in the New Testament.)
Like Tom, my assistant is my spouse. He does all the heavy garden work; moving soil, repairing beds, digging large holes. I also have assistants in my children who clean the kitchen, do laundry and take care of the animals.
I’d like an assistant to do the book work for the business, though really doesn’t take much time; it’s just monotonous.
As my energy level is low due to fibromyalgia, I want an assistant to clean my house (after decluttering it) and cook one meal a day for me. This assistant could also wash my clothes. This would give me more time to play piano, read more books, sew more.
I love the idea of your assistant! I’m sure there are some people who enjoy cleaning the house — I understand some people find it good for their mental health to do mundane tasks like cleaning when they are feeling overwhelmed. But for the most part, I’d get out of cleaning 99% of the time if I could.
Cooking is another task that I know some people enjoy, but I just don’t like. Luckily, my wife Marsha enjoys cooking (when she’s not exhausted), so I eat far better than I would if I were on my own.
This makes me wonder about the promise of robots in the home that would take care of daily drudgery — imagine a dishwasher that could load itself, then put the dishes away after the rinse cycle! Or a Roomba that could do more that just sweep. Perhaps a Chef-Bot that could do the meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal preparation all on its own.
I want that more than I want flying cars or whatever else the future was supposed to have in store for us.