Handling
the Chore You Hate
by Lynn Cutts
We
all have tasks we don't enjoy doing, but they have to get done.
Whether it's balancing the checkbook, cleaning out the refrigerator,
or filing that pile of papers, these are the chores we dread. So
we end up putting them off over and over again, until the "To
File" pile threatens to avalanche onto the floor, or the container
in the back of the fridge gets up and walks away.
Usually when
this happens, we get mad at ourselves, which makes us dislike the
job even more. We accuse ourselves of being lazy, of having no self-discipline.
But that isn't really the problem. Most of the time, it's simply
that the task is unpleasant, or we're not good at it, or it's boring.
We get less out of the task than we put into it. Or at least it
feels that way.
So instead of
berating ourselves about our laziness or procrastination, let's
take that energy and use it to figure out how to make that chore
more pleasant or more rewarding. Sometimes it's as simple as pulling
out a pair of rubber gloves before you tackle the fridge, or brewing
a special pot of coffee to sip while you struggle with the check
book. The most effective, and the hardest to do, is to change your
feelings about the chore. Find something positive about it, and
focus on that.
Here are a few
more suggestions about how to handle the chore you hate.
- Can you make
the chore more pleasant? Maybe you could light a candle or some
incense, play your favorite music, sip a special brew of tea or
coffee, if that's your thing. My daughter does her ironing in
front of the television.
- Break a big
task down into smaller pieces. Don't clean out the entire refrigerator;
just do one shelf. Don't attack all your filing at once, just
do ten pieces a day.
- Set a timer,
and work on that task for just ten minutes, then quit for the
day. You can do anything for just ten minutes. Often, however,
once you get started, you want to keep going. That's fine too.
- Get others
involved. When we had to clean out the storage area in our basement,
we got the entire family involved. We set aside a Saturday afternoon,
and with all of us going at it, making jokes about what we found,
the job went smoothly and quickly.
- Attack that
chore first thing in the morning, before you've had time to start
dreading it. Then you'll feel good, and proud, for the rest of
the day.
- Finally,
is this something that you, and only you, has to do? What would
happen if you didn't do it, or delegated it to someone else, or
even hired someone to do it for you? Will the world come apart
at the seams if your spouse does the laundry instead of you? Will
your business grind to a halt if you don't get everything filed
away?
So the next
time you find yourself facing a chore you abhor, see if there isn't
some way you can make it just a little bit more pleasant.
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