If there are three things in the world that I hate doing, they are: laundry, exercising, and grading papers. Unfortunately for me, however, these things are pretty crucial parts of my every day life and – with the exception of exercise, which I put off way more often that I should – pretty near impossible to avoid altogether.
At my core, I am a multitasker. If you ask Jeff, it can be pretty darn annoying sometimes, but I’m always listening to one conversation, participating in another, writing a blog post, and curling my hair. (Or something like that. I, actually, rarely curl my hair.)
This summer, I’ve tried to use my multitasking abilities to my advantage and make some of my most dreaded tasks a little bit more enjoyable. And, I’ve got to tell you, so far… It’s working!
I’ve been staying (mostly) on top of laundry, exercising (pretty) regularly, and grading papers like a (semi) champ… All while staying caught up on my favorite Netflix shows, reading great books, and being an expert internet surfer…
Here’s how:
I watch Netflix series (Pretty Little Liars is my go-to show because I will never run out of episodes) while I fold and put away laundry.
I read books on my Kindle while I walk on the treadmill.
And, I reward myself for every set of papers graded with 5 (or 10) minutes of guiltless Facebook scrolling, blog reading, etc.
The key here, however, is that I pretty much ONLY allow myself to do those “fun” things, when I’m doing the other “not fun” things*. It’s like a compromise I make with myself, and – believe it or not – it really does make a difference. I find myself anxious to put Sam down for a nap so that I can hurry and get to my laundry or willing to get up early for a walk on the treadmill so that I can read the next few chapters of my book.
Have any of you tried this? What fun and un-fun tasks do you pair together to motivate yourself? What works for you?
E
*This is all a bit theoretical of course. I still have days where I’m a total lazy butt and read, blog, and watch TV with very little other productivity. BUT, that’s the exception rather than the rule these days. 🙂