How to Do the Hardest Tasks of Your Day, with Happiness and Fun

By: Jesslyn Callista Kristianto

Procrastinating on the hardest tasks of the day is a common affliction for most people. This usually leads to our most important and meaningful work, passion, project, or dream to not being accomplished, and getting postponed to another time. However, time is too limited and precious for this.

So how do we change this habit? We stop running and hiding from the fear and start moving towards it. We should face it and let it become our training ground.

Let us see how to train this below:

Creating a Training Ground

This has to be taken seriously to actually happen. The way to do that is to create a special area for training. Think of it like a boxing ring, or a yoga mat, or a meditation hall where its boundaries make it special, and keeps you in the training area.

Think of this as a sacred space because you have elevated it above all the other ordinary things you usually do in a day. In this sacred space, you are facing your fears, and allowing your habitual patterns to shift.

Here’s how to create it:

1. Set a specific time from your day to train. Write it on a calendar, set an alarm, and tell others about it.
2. Set a special place to train. Find a suitable place according to the task that should not be your usual workplace.
3. Create a starting habit where you set your intentions for the training session.
4. Let there be only one thing to do and focus on during this session. No distractions, no multitasking.
5. Put in lots of effort and devotion into the work. Do it not only for yourself, but for the love for those you serve as well.
6. End it with gratitude. Make this feel special and then move on to another task.

Then the next step is to…

Train with Happiness and Fun:

Training in doing the things that you don’t like doesn’t have to be torture. In fact, it can be happy and fun. Try these ideas:

1. As you start, do what it takes to make it a pleasant experience. You can play some music, brew some nice tea, etc.
2. Be aware of what is happening with your body. Notice the effects of your anxiety on your body, instead of running away from it.
3. Stay with the sensation, with curiosity. Explore it like it’s the first time you’ve ever had this experience.
4. Dance with the chaos. Literally and figuratively. Let your body move softly and gently to the music as you do the work. Play with this uncertainty, have fun with whatever you normally run from. Let it be a game, let it be fun, let it be an adventure.

Keep doing the task that you find hard, that you would normally procrastinate on, but do it with this sense of mindfulness, of dancing, of curiosity, gratitude, relaxation and joy.