Tasks and chores are the mundane things people do daily. There is nothing glamorous about them. Yet, when you look for the joy in the ordinary, you may find that things aren’t as mundane as you think. You might find yourself looking forward to accomplishing and checking some of those tasks off your list. Here are nine ways to infuse some creativity into your mundane activities:

1. Set a Timer

Many times, we think unloading the dishwasher will take forever. The truth may be surprising. Instead of wishing for a dishwasher fairy, grab your timer and set it for four minutes. You may be surprised how quickly this (or any) task truly takes. You may even try beating your time every chance you get.

2. Enjoy Some Dancing

Physical movement is good for the body and mundane chores. Time can move quickly if you turn up the tunes and break into dance while mopping, vacuuming, or even scrubbing the toilet. Your silly dancing can lead to laughing and the release of endorphins to make you happier.

3. Occupy Your Mind with a Podcast or Audiobook

Sometimes, you want to get the drudgery over. You can make folding clothes, sweeping, or wiping down the shower more entertaining by listening to an audiobook or podcast. You can even make it a rule to only listen to audiobooks when you clean. See how fast you are ready to mop while in the middle of an intriguing mystery.

4. Choose Some Fun Tools

Yes, vacuums are boring. Dusting is a drag. Why not spruce things up with fun cleaning tools? For example, look for colorful gloves or dusters. Name your remote vacuum and paste googly eyes on it. You will soon find yourself smiling while you clean.

5. Make It a Team Effort

Whether you are working on painting the fence or cleaning out the garage, teamwork makes things go much faster. Grab the family or your roommate and enjoy some time together while knocking out some chores and tasks.

6. Create a Sticker Chart

Who didn’t like stickers as a kid? By making a task chart and adding stickers upon accomplishing the required job, you can ‘save’ up for a favorite coffee or a date night at a special restaurant. Not only does it create a game, but it gives you a sense of anticipation of something fun later.

7. Create a Cleaning Playlist

Like only listening to an audiobook while cleaning, you can create a special playlist of fun songs that you listen to during certain activities. Look for those fun and weird tunes from the 80s, 90s, and 00s, or show tunes or musicals. You may discover your inner Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as you dance around.

8. Change Your Mindset

Sometimes, you need to look at that blinking cursor or that pile of dishes and change how you perceive the task. Instead of being frustrated or putting off the inevitable, look at how to embrace what is before you. Think about how you get to give the gift of a clean kitchen, not how tedious cleaning is.

9. Aim for Good Enough, Not Perfection

For perfectionists, cleaning is a drag because they know it will never be perfect, so why bother starting? There comes a time when you need to set limits and let the cleaning be good enough, not perfect, and then relax.

FAST-ACTION STEPS

1. Think back to the music from your high school years and create a playlist specifically for cleaning the house or running errands.

2. For silly fund, go to the store and grab some rubber gloves. Next, dazzle them with sequins and feathers for fun when you clean. You may want to get additional pairs for housemates or family.

Grab your timer after dinner and use race against the clock to tidy your home. If you have a project, set the timer for a dedicated amount of time and see how far you can get done before it goes off.