Did you ever think there must be more to life than folding laundry and emptying the dishwasher? Sometimes, those chores seem endless and thankless. 

But here’s the thing: little routines in life can add joy if you have the right mindset. 

What? Laundry? Joy? Who would put those two words in the same sentence?

I know, I know… Sounds ridiculous. Here are three ways I get joy from laundry:

1. I am usually cold, so folding the warm clothes is comforting.
2. No one wants to help me fold laundry, so I get time to myself, which I love.
3. I can listen to my book on Audible while folding the laundry!

Those three bits of knowledge add joy to the process of laundry! (To say nothing about the joy of finding clean underpants in my drawer!)

I have made emptying the dishwasher a game. I try to see how quickly I can do it without rushing. Usually, it takes me less than 2 minutes to empty the dishwasher. And getting it done means I won’t have to think about it until next time, instead of avoiding it and leaving it hanging over my head (hoping Dobie will miraculously come and empty it.)

When there are regular activities that we have to do as part of “activities of daily living,” making them fun or entertaining is a great idea. 

I remember reading about the hospice nurse who documented the end-of-life regrets of her patients. The biggest regrets were never things they did and wished they hadn’t, but they were things they wanted to do and didn’t. 

Let me say that again. They regretted the actions they HADN’T done. The trips they hadn’t taken, the people they hadn’t taken the time to reconcile with, the people they wished they had spoken to.

To be on your death bed and filled with regrets for the life you DIDN’T live— now that is truly painful. 

Just that knowledge should be enough to motivate you to action, and here’s one more thought along those lines.

Imagine meeting the person you could have been at the end of your life if you had taken the risks you avoided. 

So often, we avoid situations or taking actions because of our pride, fear of embarrassing ourselves, lack of knowledge, “too busy,” or whatever excuse comes up, and we miss an opportunity. 

I often feel this way when it comes to going out to events. I get overwhelmed by the thought of putting on makeup and getting dressed up. I would much rather read my book in bed. (I know… too exciting for words…).

Over time, I learned that the degree I don’t want to go to something is an indicator that it is more important to go. The more the negative voice in my head tries to cajole me into staying home, the more I need to go. 

What happens when I make the effort to go? I may make an important connection, learn something new, or whatever. The important point is that I prove to myself that I can do these things and survive. Something positive will come out of it. 

If you never make the effort, you never learn what is possible. 

And life is in The Adventure. 

So, what will you do today to help you live without regrets? What action are you going to take? What phone call are you going to make?

Small steps taken consistently forward create huge results. 

I am preparing to launch the program I have been teaching for years in person as an online course. This is a huge step for me. I know my program is excellent, but marketing online is new to me. It involves putting myself out there in a big way, and it’s scary. 

But what’s the worst that can happen? There could be an electrical storm, and our power goes out, so I can’t do the live masterclass. Or perhaps no one will notice the promotion I am doing, and hence, no one will show up for the class. Or no one will sign up for the program. 

I could avoid all the risks by simply not putting myself out there. But then, I wouldn’t be able to help the people I am called to help. And if I don’t try to do the launching process, I will never know if I can do it or not, and it will haunt me FOREVER. 

We teach our kids to be in the arena. To be the action taker. To take risks, calculated risks. 

I am leading by example. For my kids, for me, for the people I serve. 

If you want to do big things in life, you have to take the steps to do them. Like moving my family to Paris. That was a MAJOR process. But I broke it down into small actions I could do each day and chipped away at the list, just as Michaelangelo chipped away to release David from the marble. 

If I hadn’t done that and taken all of those steps, we would never have had the experience of living in Paris, and those were life-changing years. 

Connect with your dream, and take the steps necessary to accomplish them. Live the life you are meant to live. Don’t live a life full of regrets and coulda, shoulda, woulda. 

Be an action taker. 

If you want to join my Masterclass: Tame the Negative Voice in Your Head, simply click the link below. The class is offered three times: 

• June 3 at 10 am Pacific Daylight Time  
• June 3 at 5 pm Pacific Daylight Time or 
• June 4 at 8 am Pacific Daylight Time 

Choose the one that best fits your schedule. 

I look forward to seeing you there!