We are all motivated by pleasure or pain. We try to avoid the things that give us pain and repeat those behaviors that give us pleasure (one reason why I will gladly eat a slice of chocolate pecan pie over, say, folding a load of laundry). The trick to getting more accomplished in your day is to make those "painful" things that you've got to do a bit more pleasurable. Sure, it's not as easy as snapping your fingers, but it works.
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Make a list of those chores you have to do around the house that you really don't enjoy that much. Next, look through these tasks and ask yourself, "what will happen if I don't do them?" Usually, just considering this pain is enough to motivate you to do them. For example, if I don't fold laundry, I have no clean jeans and my kids have no matching pairs of socks. If I don't clean around the bottom of the
toilet, the choking fumes of
urine emanate from a
bathroom shared by three young boys. You get the picture. After you establish a good reason to do the task, and that you sincerely want to do it, find a way to make it more pleasurable. By associating something pleasurable with a task, you will increase your motivation to do it.
Here are some things you can try:
- Blast your favorite tunes while you straighten up the house.
- Burn a beautiful (clean-burning) candle in the kitchen while you cook.
- Fold laundry while you listen to some great audio tapes.
As for cleaning around the toilet? I'm still working on being consistent on that one!
Basic Housekeeping - Sweet Success: Created on June 1st, 2006. Last Modified on January 21st, 2014
About Hannah Keeley
Hannah Keeley is an author, television personality, lifestyle expert, and founder of the Web site, TotalMom.com, a complete resource for the mom who is trying to do it all and stay sane in the process. Her newest book, Hannah Keeley’s Total Mom Makeover: A Six-Week Program to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life (Little, Brown & Co, April, 2007), is a life-changing tool to help moms get the most out of life. Hannah also has a monthly Q&A column, "Hannah Help Me!", in which she helps moms handle the typical and not-so-typical misadventures of motherhood. You can also see Hannah as a frequent guest on "The Rachael Ray Show."
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