“Time doesn't seem to pass here: it just is.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien
Some days are pretty mundane, aren’t they James?
Indeed, some seasons can be.
Years, even (2020 favourite to win Most Monotonous Year Award).
Here’s my personal list of Mundane Activities.
- sorting, washing, ironing, folding and putting away clothes
- doing the recycling and putting out the bins
- thinking about meals, writing a food list, doing said food shop, unpacking a food shop
- doing lifts to and from rugby training, after school rugby, any other kind of rugby
- writing emails and proposals and responding to emails that are responding to my emails
- nagging about homework and unpacking bags and putting away shoes and…
Yours might include routine staff meetings.
Reading the end of month reports.
Or playing trains with a toddler for the umpteenth time.
Or watching daytime TV because you’re shielding right now.
Marking sixty books and nobody has used the correct version of the word your/you’re (give me strength).
Listening to the same customer complaints and issues over and over.
But I’ve come across a life hack to help us with the mundane. It starts with the words ‘I get to.’ It’s a quick re-frame to help us shift our perspective in the monotony of life (because let’s face it we can be pretty contended and there’s still quite a bit of it going around - especially in 2020).
It goes like this. Let’s reframe my list.
- Washing - I get to choose between a variety of clothes today
- Bins - I get to recycle and make a positive impact on the future
- Food - I get to eat a varied, interesting diet. I get to feed my family and friends
- Lifts - I get to see my children enjoy a sport they love
- Emails - I get to communicate with my amazing clients, I get to do amazing work and this is how it starts
- Nagging - I get to influence my three children for the good
You could try the same with your list.
Shift the monotony to privilege.
It doesn’t make it brilliant, it doesn’t mean it’s the best, it doesn’t mean there isn’t more, but it can help in the moment.
I love to help people find more purpose in the everyday (because, let’s face it, however fortunate we are, we spend most our time in the everyday).
So, I’ve written something that I’d love to share with anyone who would like it.
For free. Nada. Nothing. It’s a gift.
It’s a simple 5-day challenge to finding more purpose in your everyday.
5 days, 5 minutes, 5 challenges. You also get to discover what your unique purpose drivers are, so you can avoid barking up the wrong tree 😉 |