The rest of the week is set to be an absolute stinker in Sydney and I am sitting here procrastinating about the housework that has yet to be done. I am not sure if it is because it is hot or because I am still in holiday mode that I am putting off my daily chores. It’s probably a bit of both.
It did get me thinking though. The housework is something that has to be done every day and yet some days it is a chore and others it is – dare I say it – enjoyable. Why? I think it is all down to attitude. My chores do not change from day to day, my perception of them does.
If I approach them with a negative “I have to get this done before I can enjoy the day”, I end up having a miserable time and rush around and cut corners to get the housework finished. Then the next day, all the things I didn’t do properly the day before have to be done again and the cycle continues.
Instead, I try to think of the housework as part of my day, as providing a loving, nurturing environment for my family. When my attitude is like this the tasks go quicker, I am not hating every minute of it and I am doing a better job which means it will be longer before I have to do them again. When the house work is done, I can be proud my achievement and enjoy my work.
The same approach can be made in the kitchen. You can approach cooking as an evening chore to be done as quickly and as effortlessly as possible – whack some mince on the stove and bung in a jar of pasta sauce sort to thing. Or you can look at cooking the evening meal as an opportunity to nourish your family and provide them with appetising food that has been prepared with love and attention. A good meal is also the basis for the family sitting down together and discussing their day. I think that is something to be proud of and to enjoy. It makes the time I spend in the kitchen something I look forward to, not something I am dreading each day.
Now, don’t for a minute believe I have a positive attitude about my housework every day, because I don’t. But I try to remember what I have just written and keep my attitude towards the positive side of things as most of the time.
I also find that when things start to be a chore, a few compliments from the rest of the family is all I need to swing my attitude and get my but back into gear.
1 comment:
since starting work again, I have written two lists. One is a list of things to do everyday and the other is a list of things that need doing once a week. Now everyone knows what needs doing and how often they all chip in. So when I am home and I do some chores it isnt like its all left to me and a bummer, but something we all do. That makes it better for`me too.
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