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A trick for helping you do stuff you hate to do

Hate doing the laundry? Detest washing the dishes? Do you often put off taking the dog for a walk because you'd rather be cozy in bed watching Law and Order reruns?

We've all been there.

When it comes to chores and other stuff on our To Do Lists that we loathe doing, we may find ourselves procrastinating -- so much so that we may come home to find the electricity has been shut off due to unpaid bills, we barely have any clean clothes to wear, or the leak we left unattended for weeks now poses a flood risk.

While we may never actually grow to like these tasks, here's a valuable tip for helping you carry them out quicker and make them more bearable:

With task enhancement, you add a positive stimulus/distraction to the mix so as to give your mind something more enjoyable to focus on while you complete the task.

For example, I hate doing exercise after work, but I remind myself that it goes a long way toward keeping the pounds off.

If I didn't have my iPod with me at the gym, I couldn't possibly put in an hour or more without feeling painfully bored. The thought of listening to my favorite tracks while on the treadmill actually makes me look forward to the session.

And once I'm actually exercising, I get so into the songs that before I know it, a half hour has passed -- even though I find the exercise itself rather dull.

Here are a few other examples where you can incorporate a positive stimulus to make an otherwise tedious task easier to tackle:

  • Watching TV while doing the laundry
  • Reading a book while waiting to see the doctor 
  • Working on your photo scrapbook while your food heats up in the microwave
  • Talking on the phone to a good friend while stuck in traffic
The whole point is to get your mind off the unpleasantness of the task at hand by diverting some of your attention to something you like to do. 

This may be a little challenging at first for those who don't consider themselves multi-taskers, but you can get better at it with practice. 

So the next time you find yourself in a long line at the grocery store, pull out your Kindle and continue reading your book. 

Rather than grumbling about that stack of bills or pile of laundry you haven't gotten to, why not get it over with while watching an engrossing movie or listening to some of your favorite songs?

When you're doing something you like -- even if paired with something you dislike doing -- you'll find it's much easier to stomach. 

And while it might not work for everyone, it's definitely worth a shot. 
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