No Dread Necessary #91
When you have something to do and it’s not on your list of favorites (or you even dread it, like I did moving this weekend) how do you make it more motivating to get it done?
- Hire it out if you can afford it. There’s so much you can delegate these days to people who love doing what you dread – whether a college student, friend or professional – open your eyes and look around. You are spreading joy and stimulating their economy – AND, you got time back.
- My husband and I have less time to care for our home than we used to. We’re thrilled to have a handyman work on the “honey do” list while we’re at work and I’ve got an amazing friend who downsized and misses her garden. I have gardens I don’t have time to tend…WIN/WIN. This affords us more time for recreation, family and each other. It’s a non-thought on the cost of doing these activities. One day, that will change as we make the time at home, but not at the height of our careers.
- Think it through and find the parts you do enjoy. Get yourself ready to do those and surround yourself with people who compliment those things.
- I enjoy the purging part of moving. I enjoy getting rid of things and organizing what remains, there’s something cleansing about all of it. My husband doesn’t enjoy that part, he accumulates things, but he enjoys the physical part of moving. He looks at it as a workout and doesn’t mind lifting and hauling. We complement each other and use that to our advantage.
- Add some fun. What? If you focus on what you dread, it’s something you’ll gain stress about and likely end up regretting.
- For me, add music and any event gets better. Also, I planned some food and beverages, ordered them ahead of time and ensured we had a break in the middle of our work. We laughed, told stories and enjoyed the people helping us for a window in the middle of the move. It helps immeasurably to break up the day and remember we’re all people.
- Recognize the progress while it’s occurring.
- It’s easy to focus on the goal and what will be once you’re done, but it’s also pretty cool to appreciate the transformation as it’s happening. That can be true for any project, company or journey you’re on. When you lose sight of the progress, you lose your mojo.
- Find places to laugh and celebrate.
- We asked for a moving team we’d worked with before because they were great workers and we laughed with them during the heaviest of the work. One of them danced as he was placing furniture and we all laughed with him as he went from a slow jam to disco. When we get it all settled, my husband and I will share a bottle of champagne we’ve been saving to celebrate the completion of this phase. We save the cork and write the date and event on it to commemorate our celebrations. We’ve been doing it for years and it’s a great memory maker.
We know this phase is done for now and are ready for another pause after all the work. Soon, the next phase will begin, and we’ll cycle through this list again. No dread necessary.