Turn Chores Into Chances | Getting Results

“Chores are not obstacles to what we want to achieve, but rather a way to make our lives more meaningful and fulfilling.” — JD Meier

Turn your chores into chances by connecting them to your values and using them as an opportunity to practice what you want to get better at.

As a mentor and high-performance coach at Microsoft for over 20 years, I’ve helped countless individuals and teams to improve their productivity and achieve their goals.

One of the most effective strategies that I’ve found is turning chores into chances.

This simple yet powerful concept involves transforming mundane, everyday tasks into opportunities to live your values, practice your skills, and express your creativity.

In this article, I’ll share with you the insights and techniques that I’ve developed over the years to help you turn your chores into chances and achieve greater fulfillment in all areas of your life.

Why Turn Your Chores Into Chances?

To “turn your chores into chances” means to reframe or shift your perspective on tasks that you might normally perceive as burdensome or unpleasant.

Instead of viewing these tasks as chores, you view them as opportunities or chances to learn or accomplish something.

By doing so, you may be able to approach these tasks with a more positive and proactive mindset, which can help to reduce stress and increase motivation.

Essentially, it’s about finding the silver lining in the things we need to do, and using that to our advantage.

By approaching your chores with a positive mindset, you can turn them into chances for personal growth, relaxation, and creativity.

How To Turn Your Chores into Chances

Here are some steps to turn your chores into chances by connecting them to your values:

Identify your values: Take some time to think about what’s important to you. Is it learning, growth, family, health, or something else?
Connect your chores to your values: Once you’ve identified your values, find ways to connect your chores to them. For example, if you value learning, turn a chore into a chance to learn something new. If you’re cleaning your house, listen to a podcast or audiobook on a topic that interests you.
Use positive language: When framing your chores, use positive language that connects to your values. Instead of saying “I have to do the laundry,” say “I get to take care of my clothes and have a clean and organized home.”
Make it fun: Find ways to make your chores more enjoyable. Play music, challenge yourself to finish a task in a certain amount of time, or turn your chore into a game.
Find meaning: Even mundane tasks can have meaning if you connect them to your values. If you value taking care of your family, doing the dishes becomes a chance to take care of their health and well-being.
Celebrate your successes: When you’ve successfully turned a chore into a chance, celebrate your success. Acknowledge the effort you put in and the value you gained from the experience.

Remember, turning chores into chances is all about finding meaning in the tasks you do and connecting them to what’s important to you. By doing so, you can increase your motivation, productivity, and overall sense of well-being.

Examples of Turning Chores into Chances

Chores are often seen as mundane tasks that must be completed, but they can actually be opportunities to spend time in your values and practice what you want to get better at.

By connecting chores to your values and reframing them as chances for self-expression, you can transform them into meaningful and fulfilling experiences.

Whether it’s cleaning the house, creating a report at work, or studying for school, approaching these tasks with intention and purpose can help you live a more fulfilling life.

Let’s walk through a few examples…

Cleaning the House

TASK: Cleaning the house
VALUES: Peaceful environment

Step 1: Identify Your Values: The first step is to identify your values. Let’s say you value creating a peaceful and inviting environment for yourself and others.
Step 2: Connect Your Task to Your Values: The next step is to connect your task, cleaning the house, to your values. You can do this by thinking about how cleaning the house can create a peaceful and inviting environment. For example, by removing clutter and organizing your space, you can create a calm and serene atmosphere. By cleaning the windows and floors, you can make the space feel fresh and inviting.
Step 3: Reframe Your Task: Now, reframe your task to reflect how it connects to your values. Instead of thinking of cleaning the house as a mundane task, think of it as an opportunity to create a peaceful and inviting environment for yourself and others.
Step 4: Use Positive Language: Use positive language when thinking and talking about your task. Instead of saying “I have to clean the house,” say “I get to create a peaceful and inviting environment for myself and others.”
Step 5: Celebrate Your Accomplishments: Finally, celebrate your accomplishments when you’ve completed your task. Take a moment to appreciate the peaceful and inviting environment you’ve created, and how it aligns with your values. This will help reinforce the connection between your task and your values, and motivate you to continue finding ways to turn your chores into chances.

By following these steps, you can turn a mundane task like cleaning the house into a chance to live your values and create a more fulfilling life.

Creating a Report

TASK: Creating a report
VALUES: Excellence in your work

Step 1: Identify Your Values: The first step is to identify your values. Let’s say you value excellence in your work and providing value to your clients.
Step 2: Connect Your Task to Your Values: The next step is to connect your task, creating a report, to your values. Think about how the report can showcase your excellence and provide value to your clients. For example, you can focus on creating a report that is informative, visually appealing, and provides actionable insights.
Step 3: Reframe Your Task: Now, reframe your task to reflect how it connects to your values. Instead of thinking of creating a report as a mundane task, think of it as an opportunity to showcase your excellence and provide value to your clients.
Step 4: Use Positive Language: Use positive language when thinking and talking about your task. Instead of saying “I have to create a report,” say “I get to showcase my excellence and provide value to my clients by creating a report.”
Step 5: Celebrate Your Accomplishments: Finally, celebrate your accomplishments when you’ve completed your task. Take a moment to appreciate the value that you’ve created for your clients and how it aligns with your values. This will help reinforce the connection between your task and your values, and motivate you to continue finding ways to turn your tasks into chances.

By following these steps, you can turn a seemingly mundane task like creating a report into an opportunity to showcase your excellence and provide value to your clients, while also living your values and leading a more fulfilling life.

Study for an Upcoming Test

TASK: Study for an upcoming test.
VALUES: Growth and learning

Step 1: Identify Your Values: The first step is to identify your values. Let’s say you value growth and learning, and you want to do well in school.
Step 2: Connect Your Task to Your Values: The next step is to connect your task, studying for an upcoming test, to your values. You can do this by thinking about how studying can help you grow and learn. For example, by studying, you can gain a deeper understanding of the subject, develop critical thinking skills, and improve your overall academic performance.
Step 3: Reframe Your Task: Now, reframe your task to reflect how it connects to your values. Instead of thinking of studying as a chore or obligation, think of it as an opportunity to grow and learn. Approach your study sessions with a growth mindset, and view mistakes or challenges as opportunities to improve and develop your skills.
Step 4: Use Positive Language: Use positive language when thinking and talking about your task. Instead of saying “I have to study,” say “I get to learn and grow through studying.”
Step 5: Celebrate Your Accomplishments: Finally, celebrate your accomplishments when you’ve completed your task. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned and how it aligns with your values. This will help reinforce the connection between your task and your values, and motivate you to continue finding ways to turn your chores into chances.

By following these steps, you can turn studying for a test from a mundane task to a chance to live your values and create a more fulfilling academic experience.

Bonus Tip: Learn from Somebody Who Loves Your Chore

This has probably been the most significant way that I’ve gained new skills and new perspectives, especially for things that I either didn’t enjoy or wasn’t very good at.

I simply reached out and learned from somebody who was great at what I needed to get better at. And when they are truly great, they usually enjoy sharing how they think about and go about what they do.

Learning from someone who loves doing a chore that you’re not good at or hate can be a valuable opportunity to gain a fresh perspective and learn new methods.

Someone who enjoys doing the chore may have a different mindset and approach that can help you find enjoyment or at least make the task more manageable.

By observing and asking questions, you can learn their tricks and apply them to your own efforts. Don’t be afraid to seek out help or advice from those who excel in the areas where you struggle.

This is also how I great my network exponentially over the years at Microsoft, all while learning how to “paint the fence” and ‘wax the car”.

Every Day is a New Chance to Turn Your Chores into New Chances

turning chores into chances is not just about completing a task or reaching a goal.

It is about taking advantage of the opportunities that life presents us with every day. It is about living our values, practicing what we want to get better at, and expressing ourselves in everything we do.

By seeing chores as chances, we can transform even the most mundane tasks into moments of joy, growth, and fulfillment.

And as we do so, we discover that the real treasures of life are not just the big accomplishments, but the countless chances to be our best selves every single day.

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