Just Do It!

The only way I get my chores done some days is to stop thinking about doing them and just get them done.  The more I think about how much I don't want to do them, the less likely it is that I'll do the jobs.

Still, getting up to do the chores takes some energy and some days I just don't have it.  Some days other things are sucking the emotional energy from me, making me feel like it's all hopeless.  Other days, I'm just so tired physically that the thought of doing ONE MORE thing seems as unlikely as a pig flying.

It just so happens that today is one of those emotional days.  However, so far I have taken care of my zoo of animals, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, started laundry and dragged my son out of bed.  That last one takes a Herculean effort.  How did I do it when all I really want to do is crawl in a hole?

I started with my brood of creatures.  The dogs were looking at me with their big, soulful eyes and I knew I wouldn't be able to get away without feeding them.  The cats were hovering around the water bowl which they had emptied overnight.  They'd be whining at me soon.  Cats and dogs needed medicine too.  So, for the sake of not having animals following me around the house all morning, I took care of them.

Then, I thought of how much nicer my hole would be if it was a bit cleaner.  If the kitchen wasn't stacked with dishes, I'd be less likely to feel miserable about those.  I still have the hand-wash dishes to do, but at least the kitchen isn't overflowing with plates, bowls and glasses.  Getting the first step done, the dishwasher dishes, makes it all seem less overwhelming.  (We didn't do dishes all weekend, so there's been some catching up to do.)

The laundry has gotten started because I don't want to leave my husband without socks to wear.  He told me two days ago that he would need clean socks soon and I didn't do anything about it over the weekend.  So, I started a load of laundry that has his socks in it in an effort not to disappoint him.

And finally, my son.  He was cold. He was sick to his stomach.  You name it, he probably complained of it.  He finally got out of bed after I took away electronics and began counting down to the next thing I would take away.  It's 8:23am and he's supposed to be at school by 8:30am.  I'm certain he'll be late.  Better late than never?  I struggle with getting him out of bed and to school on time almost every day.  If anyone has a good way to drag a kid off to school, I'd love to hear it.

Essentially, I stopped thinking about why I shouldn't do the chores and thought of why I ought to get them done.  My animals would quit hounding me, my little part of the world would be cleaner, my husband would be happier with clean socks, and my son would go to school for the day.  Flipping a negative into a positive is one way I motivate myself, even on the days I just don't want to do anything.  Some days, especially if I'm physically at my limits, I do take the day off of cleaning.  Those days are fewer nowadays.  I've stopped thinking so negatively about housework. I've acknowledged how much happier I am when it's done.  I've noticed how much more energy I have when I put in the energy to clean.  It's mentally exhausting for me to avoid something that I should be doing.