March (and April) bring income tax season. For most people, entire process is a nasty chore, from gathering information to filling out forms, to paying taxes. And while chocolate helps, it’s not enough. Which brings me to topic of this essay: handling tasks we hate. We all have them, whether it’s taking out trash, paying bills, getting up in morning (for some, that’s a real chore), exercising, or whatever. So how can we make those nasty chores less distasteful?Our mindset and attitude make a lot of difference in how we perceive life. If we have decided that something is going to be awful, then we subconsciously look for proof that it is. And we usually find it. Conversely, if we are convinced something is going to be fun, we look for that instead. That’s why two people sitting side by side each other at same event can have two totally different experiences.
Let me tell on myself. I hate cooked carrots with a passion, almost as much as I love chocolate. (For me, eating cooked carrots is more than just a chore I hate–it’s cruel and unusual punishment.) This is not something new; my father tells me that first time he fed me strained carrots I spit orange goop right back out in his face. Anyway, a couple of years ago, I was eating at a restaurant in Vermont, run by students from Culinary Institute of America. My plate came out with some orange puree on it, and I cautiously tasted it, quite prepared, if necessary, to re-enact scene with my father. It was delicious. It didn’t taste like squash, or rutabaga, or sweet potato, all of which are orange vegetables that I like. I finally asked our server. “Carrots,” he said. Since I didn’t know they were carrots, I hadn’t decided that I didn’t like them. Since I ate orange stuff without a preconceived idea, I actually enjoyed them. All it took was changing my mindset.
(By way, I still don’t like cooked carrots. I don’t know if it’s because I know what they are and have made up my mind already, or if carrots at that restaurant were just exceptional. I suspect it’s a bit of both.)
So when it comes to taxes, and other chores we hate, way we approach them can change our experience of them. Here are a few different things to try.
• Find a way to be grateful for chore. Yes, it sounds Pollyanna-ish, but in some ways, she’s gotten a bum rap. Thank goodness you have a job so you have taxes to pay. Be happy you have a refrigerator to store your food in, even though you have to clean it out once in a while. Heating bills? Hey, you were warm last month when thermometer took that plunge.
• Focus on outcome of what you are doing. Think how good it will feel to have those taxes done and off your mind. Think about that sparkly clean fridge–and not being afraid to open up an unmarked container. You might even arrange for someone (a spouse, friend, kid, family member) to cheer and applaud your accomplishment when you are finished. Or plan a reward for yourself.