Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Nothing New Under the Sun

I'll bet you're familiar with the saying there's nothing new under the sun? It's true, of course, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of things new to me. I constantly come across something I haven't seen before.



Have you ever rearranged your furniture, stood back, and felt a wave of shock? The old furniture you wanted to burn suddenly appeals to you and seems new and exciting. We don't have to throw out our entire life when the doldrums hit; we need to move our day around to avoid the pitfalls of familiarity.

We're blessed that in many aspects of our lives we can claim a sense of wonder and awe even in tasks we've been doing for years. The secret is in our approach. Routines help speed up our process, but sometimes we need to turn them upside down, shake them a few times, and be willing to lose some of our precision, or they'll feel routine.

Take cleaning, my least favorite duty. I don't mind dishes or laundry, but sweeping and mopping? Uggh. A few years ago, I decided to experiment to make the process nicer. I tried sweeping and mopping at different times of the day. Morning clearly worked best. Then, I experimented with the environment. When I popped in a soundtrack of a foreign movie, preferably upbeat and French, I danced while I cleaned. Since I adore dancing, the task flew by quickly.

I have a point, I promise. By approaching my least favorite chore in a new way, I was able to determine that I perform best when I sweep and mop in the morning to festive music. The old task felt new.

What tasks do you loathe doing? Can you think of a way you could approach them differently to make them less loathsome?

Join me on Friday to check in on your goals!

I will be in and out the rest of this week. I love reading your comments, so please leave one!

12 comments:

  1. Housekeeping, necessary, but not fun. A way to make it less loathsome? A maid! (-;

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  3. I loathe ... putting laundry AWAY after it's clean. It's so boring. I must be feeling unimaginiative too because I can't think of a way to pep it up! :) :)

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  4. Jamie - that's the exact thing I was about to say. Putting laundry away after I've washed and folded it is the worst. I'm not sure why I hate it so much. Maybe if I buy more hangers (I hate searching for them) and clean out my overcrowded drawers I would hate it less.

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  5. I'd take mopping and sweeping any day over dishes and laundry. Isn't it funny how we see things differently. I'm going to try approaching dishes and laundry in a different way. Maybe that will help.

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  6. Jill, you are so right. I need to freshen a few of my stale routines. It might be just what I need to get energized again. I particularly loathe cleaning the shower.

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  7. I think I've developed some sort of allergy to housework. Symptom: severe procrastination and lethargy. I'll have to think about some new ways to mix it up... maybe a costume...

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  8. I loathe it all, especially the bathrooms. And cooking. Take cooking away and I'll be a happy camper!

    My husband would probably enjoy seeing me in costume while cleaning!

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  9. They say a new experience is as good as a vacation. :)

    I've found that putting in a favorite music cd and cranking the volume makes the housework go better.

    Current favorites? Celtic Thunder, Taylor Swift, or Third Day's Offerings II cd. :)

    Thanks for another uplifting and fun post. I always wear a smile when I read your posts.

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  10. I am not big on housecleaning except on gusty spring days when the I put a record on that I love and dance about the chores.

    Music definitely helps!!!
    Patti

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  11. Hi Jill -

    Enjoy your week!

    I have to take my clothes to a laundromat. Before, I'd fold and hang up only a few things, and do the rest at home.

    Seeing all that unfolded laundry on my bed depressed me. Now, I fold everything at the laundromat, so all I have to do is put everything away. Even though the job takes the same amount of time, I have the illusion it's faster.

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

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  12. I actually like cleaning. Never gets boring, always new dirt to clean.

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