In recent weeks, my 8-year-old has been in a habit of saying, “Do I have to?” Don’t we all have those few tasks that we dread doing that make us want to say, “Do I have to?”
In recent weeks, my 8-year-old has been in a habit of saying, “Do I have to?” And my answer to him is always a very strong yes.
Me: “Go get me your backpack so we can check out the homework you have.”
Him: “Do I have to?”
Me: “Yes!”
Me: “Put your clothes in your hamper.”
Him: “Do I have to?”
Me: “Yes!”
Me: “Head upstairs and go brush your teeth before bed.”
Him: “Do I have to?”
Me: “Yes! Yes, you do HAVE to!”
Then I started thinking - this relates to the workplace as well. Don’t we all have those few tasks that we dread doing that make us want to say, “Do I have to?” Sometimes those tasks are crucial to our jobs, and other times they may just be things we must do to go the extra mile but it makes all the difference.
Here are ways that I try to manage the “do I have to?” tasks:
Put them on the top of the to-do list
Sometimes just getting those things done right off the bat makes it easier to get through them; Knowing that by doing those few things first I can get to the more enjoyable tasks sooner.
Keep it fun
I like to give myself a challenge. I turn things into a game by trying to see how many tasks I can check off the to-do list. Sometimes, I time myself and see if I can set a new personal record for how quickly I can finish the task.
Schedule it on your calendar
Most times I carve out a specific time on my calendar to complete the things I don’t enjoy doing. This helps keep me accountable.
Keep a positive attitude
Cliché I know, but sometimes you just have to “whistle while you work.” Channel your inner dwarf and stay positive about the work you are doing.
So before we all start turning into 8-year-old boys and say to our bosses, “Do I have to?”, let's think about the things we do that keep those not so fun tasks manageable. Have any good ideas? We'd love to hear about them!