How to Get Unstuck: Chore Time!
I regret to inform you that we must vacuum
In my own pantheon of household chores, laundry is god and dirty dishes are demons. But through trial and error, I have learned a tragic truth: both chores are equally effective in helping jog me out of a stuck creative brain. And since this series of articles is meant to help you get unstuck, I have no choice but to share with you my next tip: do your chores.
Can’t seem to start that feature film script? Weed the garden. Incapable of revising the next chapter in your novel? Hand-wash your bras and/or underpants and hang them to dry. Wildly uninterested in designing that important PowerPoint? I don’t blame you, but now it’s time to vacuum the pet hair. See how far you get before the PowerPoint becomes more appealing.
Just remember these core elements of the practice, and you’ll be good to go.
Make your chore the sole focus. Do not tell yourself, “If I scrub the tub, then I’ll have a breakthrough in my attempt at crafting a groundbreaking theorem.” Instead, tell yourself, “I don’t seem to be getting shit done here at my desk, so I may as well set a timer for an hour and actually accomplish something.” Then go off and do that thing. No one can guarantee that you’ll have an aha! moment while cleaning the shower drain, but it sure ain’t gonna…
