24-20 The First Step #2

A Journey Into Joy
Step 5 — Week 2: The First Step

Step 5 encourages us to “cross the threshold”, in order to take our first step towards answering “then call” (step 2). With this step, it’s time to “bite the bullet” as it were, take a deep breath in, and on the exhale take that all important first step. Once the momentum has started, taking the next step is a bit easier.

For me I plan to continue with the areas covered in the weeks of Step 1 (health, home, The Mandala Lady, and my purpose).

Here’s my journal entry for step 4–week 2: Home

In trying to figure out an easy way to maintain my home, I went to ChatGPT for some help. I asked it to give me 10 creative ways to overcome resistance to doing household chores. Here’s what it came up with:

1. Gamify Chores: Turn household tasks into a game. Use apps like “Chore Wars” or create a point system where completing chores earns rewards or fun prizes.
2. Set a Timer: Use a timer to create a sense of urgency and limit chore time. For example, set a 15-minute timer and see how much you can accomplish within that time frame.
3. Create a Playlist: Make a high-energy playlist or listen to your favorite podcast or audiobook while doing chores to make the experience more enjoyable.
4. Incorporate Exercise: Combine chores with exercise. For instance, add lunges while vacuuming or dance while dusting to make the tasks more fun and physically engaging.
5. Use Visual Aids: Create colorful charts or checklists to track progress and visually see the completion of tasks. This can provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation.
6. Chore Swaps: Swap chores with family members or roommates to avoid monotony. If you dislike a particular task, someone else might find it less bothersome and vice versa.
7. Themed Days: Assign specific chores to different days of the week (e.g., Laundry Mondays, Trash Tuesdays) to create a routine and avoid feeling overwhelmed by doing everything at once.
8. Chore Parties: Invite friends or family over for a “chore party” where everyone pitches in to help with household tasks, making it a social and collaborative effort.
9. Mindfulness Practice: Practice mindfulness while doing chores. Focus on the sensory experiences and the present moment to turn chores into a meditative activity.
10. Reward System: Implement a reward system where you treat yourself after completing chores. This could be something small like a favorite snack, a break to watch a show, or a relaxing activity you enjoy.

Numbers 2, 3, 7, and 9 appeal to me…especially #7…which is weird and a bit unsettling since that’s the system my mom used…and I despised it. However, now that I look at it objectively, it’s probably not the system that I despised but the chores themselves…especially Thursdays because that was kitchen day and it always seemed like there was more work to be done on that day than all the other days of the week…combined…I’m probably exaggerating…but it sure felt like it. Another reason why I think I despised doing these chores was that none of my three brothers did any household chores…I was the only sibling (a girl) that had to do them.

Now that I’m in my “elder” years, I can see the value in the themed system. So I stopped writing this post and made up a chart that lists the days of the week and the different areas of our home. I assigned each area to a different day of the week…I purposely kept “kitchen” away from Thursdays. It’s the least I could to satisfy my chore-resistant self. I post the newly-created chart on our refrigerator. It’s weird, but I’m actually excited to start implementing it.

While this will help with the overall maintenance issue, I still need to implement something for my resistance to doing the daily kitchen tasks (dishes, cleaning up after meals, etc). This is where EFT can help me work through the resistance and as well as my long-standing resentment mentioned earlier…it will make for a great first step.

That’s it for now,

Maureen
The Mandala Lady

inspiring and encouraging creativity, curiosity, and play through the art of mandalas

ABOUT “A JOURNEY INTO JOY”

With all the anxiety and stress in the world right now, focusing on joy may seem a bit counterintuitive. Mais contraire mes amis. We actually need more joy in our lives…now more than ever. And it starts within each of us. It’s been my experience that when in that higher vibrational state of joy, it helps raise the vibration of those around us as well. 

Brené Brown defines joy as “an intense feeling of deep spiritual connection, pleasure, and appreciation”. Of late, I mostly experience only moments of happiness and on a rare occasion, joy…thus my desire to journey into joy.

My quest throughout this year is to explore, experience, and express this state in a variety of ways, including following a variation of the hero’s journey, as professed by Jospeh Campbell.

Care to join me? Here’s how…

MandalaoftheMonth.com: On the first of the month, I’ll create and post a mandala for coloring. Each month we’ll take another step along the “journey into joy” by following a modified version Joseph Campbell’s a hero’s journey. Included in each step will be a description of the step and prompts for coloring and/or journaling for the month. You’re welcome to color them as well…they’re free to download.

MandalaoftheWeek.com: Each Monday I’ll be posting my coloring of that month’s Mandala of the Month, which will produce 4-5 colorings of that design. With each one, I intend to dig deeper into the message of that month’s mandala. You’re welcome to color along as well.