
Alright folks, today I decided to tackle something I normally groan about: the daily chore dump. Specifically, washing dishes. Sounds boring, right? Totally. But I figured, hey, my own experiment – where’s the fun hiding in this soapy mess?
The Starting Point: Pure Dread
Honestly? I hate washing dishes. Hot water, greasy pans, that faint smell of old food – no thanks. My usual strategy? Pile ‘em up until the sink’s overflowing and I absolutely have to do it. Not exactly joyful.
The Lightbulb Moment (Sort Of)
Yesterday, while staring at Mount Dishmore, I thought: What if this chore totally sucked less? Maybe even… wasn’t awful? Could I actually trick myself into finding some fun?
Operation “Suds & Grins”
Grabbed the sponge. Filled the sink with way too many bubbles – because why not? Started slow.
- Step 1: Bubble Focus: Instead of instantly scrubbing, I just looked at the bubbles. Seriously. All different sizes, shimmering in the light. Poked one. Pop! Weirdly satisfying. Poked another. Okay, mildly amusing.
- Step 2: Soap Symphony: Put on music – just some random upbeat playlist. Tried making the sponge squeak to the beat. Failed miserably, laughed at myself trying. Didn’t care.
- Step 3: Dish Drama: Grabbed the greasiest pan. Pretended the congealed stuff was ancient treasure I was archaeologically uncovering. “Behold! The fossilized lasagna!” Sounds stupid? Felt stupid. Smiled anyway.
- Step 4: Sensory Switch: Felt the warm water. Listened to the water running. Noticed how the plate got super slippery when soapy. Didn’t fight it; just paid attention. Normal stuff, but actually noticed it.
- Step 5: Speed is Fun? (Nope, didn’t work): Tried racing myself. Washed one plate super fast. Made me feel stressed and annoyed. Scrapped that idea immediately. Slow was better.
- Step 6: The Finale: Rinsed that last glass. Held it up. Light caught the water droplets. For a second, it looked kinda pretty. Made an obnoxious “tada!” sound to myself.
Okay, What Actually Happened?
Finished the dishes. Did I suddenly love dishwashing? Heck no. But the usual deep dread was gone. Mostly replaced by a… mild amusement? I didn’t hate the fifteen minutes I spent.
The “Fun Factor” Takeaway: It wasn’t fireworks. More like tiny sparks.
- Presence Wins: Actually looking, feeling, hearing – not zoning out – shifted it. The bubbles popping became tiny entertainment.
- Silly Saves the Day: Being goofy – pretending the dish is champagne or uncovering “treasure” – tricked my grumpy brain into not taking it so seriously. It’s just dishes, not a punishment. Adding absurdity helped.
- Not Fighting the Suck: Accepting it kinda sucked, but deciding to mess around anyway made the suck smaller.
- Speed is the Enemy (For Me): Rushing killed any possible amusement dead. Slowing down let the tiny moments land.
Bottom line? The fun factor today was hiding in deliberately finding the weird little things. It wasn’t magic, but it turned a chore from a groan into a slightly weird, kinda okay fifteen minutes. Might try it with laundry tomorrow. Wish me luck… or bubble solution.