Find the Un-Fun and Snap! Get the Job Done Anyway (and 4 Ways the Farm Girl Gets It Done)

I blame Mary Poppins.

She said that you only need to find the fun, and snap! The job's a game. And then she proceeded to show us how she magically gets all the work done in a few quick moments.

But in real life, I've found that those "un-fun" jobs can actually get put to the bottom of a to-do list for many moons and nobody really notices. Except we do eventually notice--because even if we don't want to do those un-fun things, we do need them to get done. 

And for all of us who have goals, there is going to be a time where we need to step into those tasks that are monotonous or even downright daunting.

Here are some ideas to get those Un-fun/Awful/Boring to-do's to the to-done list:

1. The 10-Minute Timer. When I have to do something I find really overwhelming, I set a timer for 10 minutes. That's it. I promise myself I only have to do this overwhelming something until the buzzer buzzes. One of three things happens: the job gets done; the job gets almost done, and I keep going; the job gets partly done and I do something else until I'm ready to set my 10-minute timer again.
2. The Whiteboard. When I'm dealing with not just a few tasks, but many at one time, I love the Whiteboard. The Whiteboard gives my brain an opportunity to have all its thoughts in one place where I can see it. I jot out everything in my head--the long-term tasks, the short-term ones, and all those things in between. Then in one spot I can see what I need to attack first and what can wait until tomorrow. The best thing about Whiteboard, is that you get to erase it when it's done.
3. The Modern Mixed Tape. Back when there were cassette tapes, we could put all of our favorite songs together in one handy place. Today it takes little to no work to do that. And for me, listening to something I enjoy almost always involves a twisty mystery thriller or health-related podcast. So go through your Spotify or Apple Music and choose whatever your brain can relax to. This works best for the monotonous tasks on your list.
4. The Treat. This pairs well with any of the Un-Fun/Awful/Boring to-dos you need to accomplish as it puts that motivation to finish in front of you with a special something just for you. The treat can vary from getting to call your favorite friend to grabbing a cookie from your favorite dessert spot to allowing yourself to binge that TV show you've been wanting to watch. I will give little completed tasks little treats and bigger jobs, bigger treats.

Today is the day to tackle those un-fun things in life. Do you have someone in your life who has a hard time completing challenging or monotonous tasks in their work life or home life? Send this along to them right now.

Let's do this.