Seeing it differently - here and now

Every day we have numerous goals, tasks, assignments, ideas and responsibilities on our plate. In addition to that, we have our daily basic needs to take care of: brushing our teeth, preparing food and eating, showering, drinking liquids, going to bathroom, dressing and undressing, and so on. Some things we can choose not to do (like showering and brushing teeth) – at a very good risk of being avoided by people around us - while others are a must.

As creatures of habit, we complete most of the daily-things-to-do without much effort, simply because we are used to doing them every day. Other things – like dealing with new ideas, new responsibilities and new assignments – can be either a joy or pain to do. Why? It all depends on our attitude. If we feel that working on something will bring us joy and satisfaction, then we are excited even thinking about it. Right. On the other hand, if we see a certain task as unnecessary or uncomfortable, then it is likely that we will postpone and avoid working on it. Right again! So what can we do about it?

If we HAVE to accomplish all the things-to-do (both exciting and uncomfortable ones) without pulling our hair out, we can change our attitude towards the “problem” at hand. Here’s a “trick”: think of every (good, bad and the ugly) task as a fun (even adventurous!) activity - one that you are looking forward to. No matter how unimportant, boring or uncomfortable it may seem. Take it as a challenge. Make a decision that you will work on every such task as if it was the most important thing to do that day. Every single one. The trick is not to fool yourself, but to make a decision that working on this task has a purpose and that completing it will bring a sense of accomplishment.

While working on the task at hand, being completely present and giving your best is the way to do it. By focusing our efforts in such a creative way, we can find some satisfaction in everything we do (from completing a project at work to confronting a coworker, from doing laundry to making dinner). If we take the focus off the perceived negative labels (boring, uncomfortable) for the things we need to do and choose to recognize a value in completing them to the best of our ability – here and now, we will be able to face anything that we put on our daily plate. And brush our teeth afterwards.