Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~ Leonardo da Vinci #quote
Life is full of socks. Baskets piling high with socks, socks, and more socks. Just asked my eight-year-old. It’s his job to sort, pair, and put away our family socks. This task brings him to tears, but don’t tell him I told you.
As I was coaching him on how to get the sock chore done, I was thinking of principles and practices that I use in my adult life because we all have sock chores, those mundane chores that need to get done so we can move on to more enjoyable, rewarding, or important work. (Not that sock work isn’t important, but that’s another post.)
1. Start with your mental game, as we say in sports. Dig deep to find motivation based on your highest values and principles. Sorting socks, writing a blog post, or running a meeting can be a service to others, a way to grow in discipline, or a way to become more skilled. When we can tie mundane tasks to the bigger picture of our highest hopes and aspirations, we want to serve our loved ones and community, be perceived as good workers, and become trust-worthy and pleasing to others.
2. Use practical tools to get the job done. Use a timer. For children, it can be set for as short a time as two minutes for a two-year-old and steadily increase the time to tolerance. Most adults can bang out a lot of work given only twenty minutes of concentrated effort. Then it’s time to take a break.
3. Play background music to give the mind something to enjoy. The more mundane the task, the more upbeat and sing-along you can go. The more focus the task needs, avoid music with vocals because the human voice can be distracting. For socks, we’ll listen to Springsteen. For studies, classical music.
Family Love Does More 
I’ve been loving listening to classic R&B while washing dishes/folding laundry. Oh how I hate folding laundry.
LikeLike
I recall listening to Bluegrass when we needed to clean the whole house in one shot! Bill Monroe, baby 🙂
LikeLike
And before that it was Sly and the Family Stone! That still gets me in cleaning mode. 🙂
LikeLike
Sly and the FAMILY Stone! Dance to the music ♫
LikeLike
Great tips and reminders…especially like the music tip. Music makes any task better!
LikeLike
Thanks Maggie May! And I look forward to getting back to your blog tomorrow to see who jumping on you opportunity to engage 🙂
LikeLike
Great. Not as many as I hoped, but it was still fun to try 🙂
LikeLike
I love your initiative, Maggie May (great name by the way) and down the road will borrow your idea 🙂 Thank you for your welcome and I really do hope that your lovely sense of style will help me, craft-impaired, to make my home and family life more beautiful. Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend ❤
LikeLike
Thank you so much and same to you!
Maggie May is my daughter’s name by the way 🙂 I’m borrowing it!
Jill
LikeLike
Awww, that’s sweet! I am sorry and will not make that mistake again. Thank you, Jill 🙂
LikeLike
No problem. happens all the time. It’s confusing, I’m sure!
Have a great rest of the weekend!
LikeLike
You are gracious, Jill. I am compelled to mention that I’m detail-impaired beyond the average bear. Not excuse-making. I just always appreciate those who are so good with details, which is one of the things that attracts me to your blog…the lovely details. And your engagement 🙂 Happy rest of the weekend right back at you!
LikeLike
I like the motivational tips for mundane tasks. I sometimes struggle juggling graduate school, parenting, blogging, chores and my ” alone” time. I also find when I am not confident in my ability to do the task well, I tend to put it off even more. I am going to try some of your tips!
LikeLike
I’m with you! And you’ve made my day 🙂 Please do let me know if any of these ideas are helpful to you and and other tips you find along the way. Let’s kick the mundane together!
LikeLike
I am attempting the time slots you suggested, even this morning. I do find that offering myself small rewards helps. For example.. Today I’ve put off 3 school/work tasks that must be done! If I accomplish what I need by 11 I am treating myself to a frozen coffee drink. If by end of week I catch up on all of my labs, my grading, my writing, running or walking at least 3 times.. Then my reward is getting a pedicure Friday 🙂
LikeLike
How did today go?! I hope you earned your frozen coffee drink. If not, there is always tomorrow 🙂 And, I’m definitely rooting you on to that pedicure! Good for you!
LikeLike