Do you feel that end-of-August pang? Summer is over and now it’s “back to work.” Come September, that carefree summertime feeling seems to dissipate.
I asked people what "getting back to work" means to them. I was surprised how many cited returning to routine chores they neglected over the summer. Turns out, lots of surveys have been taken about the most reviled household and workplace chores. The top ten...
Most Hated Chores
1. Cleaning the bathroom
2. Laundry
3. Yard work (such as raking leaves and trimming bushes as opposed to gardening)
4. Vacuuming and mopping
5. Filing
6. Clearing emails
7. Doing the dishes
8. Cleaning the kitchen
9. Ironing
10. Expense reports
Where does your worst chore fall? Is it on the list? Now, imagine you could transform your most-loathed chore into a meaningful or even joyful experience. Mark did just that and captured his experience in Master Your Motivation. I adapted his story for my recent SmartBrief blog.
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How to Transform a Chore
—From Burden to Benefit —
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I think you’ll find Mark’s story fun—and inspiring! This photo is Mark and his wise wife, Siri who played an important role in helping Mark shift his motivation.
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From left, Siri Johansson. Mark Paskowitz, Susan Fowler and husband Drea Zigarmi at Warwick’s Bookstore in La Jolla, Calif. (photo provided by Susan Fowler)
Mark’s example prompts me reveal one my own.
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My Nasty Chore: Nightly dishes.
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The situation: I like to cook. I don’t like to clean up. But I find it easier to put the food away and clean the kitchen the way I want than to leave it to someone else (even though my husband would help in a heartbeat).
My problem: I didn’t feel like doing the dishes at the end of a long day. So, I simply rinsed them off and left them in the sink to finish in the morning.
The issue: My husband gets up before I do and hated going into the kitchen to find a sink full of dishes that he could have done the night before.
Mastering my motivation:
1. I created choice: I acknowledged that it was my choice to wash the dishes. I could have chosen to let my husband do them but embraced my choice to do them myself.
2. I created connection: Finding meaning in doing the dishes was key. Routine chores don’t usually scream, "I’m meaningful!” So, I asked myself, “Why might I wash dishes every night?” Like a shock wave, I felt the answer before I understood it. I empathized with my husband’s dislike of awaking to a sink of dirty dishes. I literally felt the gratitude he’d feel if I chose to do the dishes at night.
3. I didn’t have to create competence. I obviously know how to wash dishes. But then, I wondered, “Could I improve my process?” Ha! Who am I kidding? I didn’t have a process! So, I created more competence trying to improve my efficiency each night.
Results: I do the dishes every night. Not with guilt or shame. Not out of obligation. But as a gift to my husband—a little demonstration of love. When I turn the kitchen lights off at night, I feel such a sense of accomplishment and joy for accomplishing such a mundane task in the name of love.
And, I’ve really improved my process! I use less water and determine ways to limit pots, pans, and utensils next time as a gift to the environment.
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Why Bother With Mastering Your Motivation on the Little Things?
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When it comes to your worst chore, you always have choices…
1. You can neglect it and suffer the consequences
2. You can pay someone else to do it (but still suffer from guilt or remorse)
3. You can shift your motivation and experience positive energy, vitality, and well-being
So why choose #3?
I have devoted my life to teaching people the skill of motivation for achieving their major goals. But I’ve learned that as important as the big goals are, the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your motivation in the little moments.
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Little moments of optimal motivation add up. They provide your life with every-day meaning. They charge your batteries. They make you resilient. You want grit? Master your motivation on the little things. Shift your motivation on the little nuisances that drain your energy and diminish peace and joy. Master your motivation on the little things and discover what it truly means to flourish.
I’d love to hear how you’ve mastered your motivation on routine tasks or dreaded chores!
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Explore my books on motivation...
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