*Folding clothes together on laundry day.*

Yippee! It’s Laundry Day

Let’s be honest. No one really gets excited about laundry day, or the dishes, or filling out an expense report.

That doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable (or at least not miserable).

This post isn’t about romanticizing chores. It’s about perspective and choice – two of the most powerful tools in coaching. You get to choose how you see things and perspective is powerful.

You don’t have to fake joy. But you can look for it even in a load of laundry.

Here are five simple reframes that can transform a “have to” into a “get to” or free you from the task entirely.

1. The Mental Magic: “Have to” → “Get to”

Start here:
“I have to do laundry” → “I get to do laundry.”

It sounds like a word trick or a semantic game, but it’s really a simple mindset change.

The phrase “get to” reminds you that you have agency. You’re not burdened, you’re participating, you’re at choice.

Even if you don’t love the task, you’re not a victim of it. You’re part of it, by choice or because of something you value.

It’s one small word, but it opens the door to peace, acceptance, or even satisfaction.

2. Find the Meaning: What’s It For?

Ask yourself:

“I get to do this for the sake of…”

A lifestyle I designed.

A family I love and contribute to.

Warm, clean, fresh smelling clothes.

Counting my gym shorts and shirts that are soaked with effort.

Wet towels my son used when he was swimming at camp.

Even at work, meaning adds dimension.

That status report? Maybe it helps your team stay aligned.

That mandatory training? It might be part of keeping people safe or just part of keeping your role.

It’s easier to do something when you know why it matters.

3. Forbid It: What If You Couldn’t?

This is where it gets interesting.

Ask yourself: What if I weren’t allowed to do this task anymore? What would the impact be?

You might realize how valuable the task is. Like having clean underwear, a paid power bill, or reliable information flow at work. In some cases, you might realize there’s no meaningful consequence if you stop doing it. Letting go is a kind of joy, too.

Or, in some cases, you might ask: Do I want to spend my time on this or my money?

It’s another way to gain some insight.

At Work: Consider Delegation

In a professional setting, this question can uncover delegation opportunities.

Yes, there are things only you can do – like sensitive decisions, staff evaluations, or managing complex risk.

But what about the rest?

Are you still writing the meeting notes you could assign to a team member?

Are you personally triaging every email when a shared inbox might suffice?

Are you reviewing every expense report when software or another role could handle it?

If the task brings no joy and no unique value from being done by you, maybe it’s time to let it go.

Sometimes, “I get to delegate” is the real magic phrase.

4. Play With It: Make It Yours

Some tasks aren’t meaningful, and they can’t be skipped or delegated.

So the question becomes: How can I make this more fun, light, or uniquely mine?

A few ideas:

Gamify it – think bingo card or earning secret points.

Fold laundry while listening to a favorite podcast.

Give it your own soundtrack – narrate dishwashing like a nature documentary.

Use colorful pens or fine writing instruments when filling out forms. Put a flair into your handwriting.

Put on music and move with it through your cleaning routine. A simple head-bob will do.

Even small tweaks can flip the emotional tone of a task from draining to delightful (or at least, bearable and mildly entertaining).

Some chores carry joy simply because they’re shared.

Doing dishes with your partner after dinner.

Grocery shopping while catching up with a friend.

Co-working virtually to get through admin tasks. (I just did this the other day myself! It was fantastic – I was folding laundry and a co-worker was writing documentation.)

Laughing with a colleague during a boring Zoom training. You know, the Slack or DM back channel.

You’re not meant to do everything alone.

You may be surprised at how a mundane task becomes connective when done alongside someone else, even silently.

Ask yourself: Who could I bring into this, not to help, but to be with me?

My Laundry, My Life

Laundry has marked a few chapters in my life:

I gave up a corporate job and embraced an entrepreneurial path. Now I choose a life where laundry is my responsibility and my reminder of freedom.

A neighbor once pulled my laundry from the dryer before it was done (shared laundry facility in a Manhattan apartment building). I didn’t know that was even possible. It shocked me and made me realize how much I took for granted. It was a great way for me to explore what boundaries and rules I hold and how we operate together in society.

Early in our marriage, my wife and I disagreed on how to do laundry. Eventually, we landed on a mantra that still makes us laugh: “Far be it from me to tell you how to do the laundry.” It’s a statement of mutual respect and that even shared lives deserve individual autonomy.

Sometimes, I turn out a pocket and find a forgotten note or dollar (which I absolutely keep). A reminder that these clothes, and this life, are lived in. I’m part of a messy, breathing family that produces dirty laundry.

Try It Elsewhere

These tools aren’t just for laundry. There are opportunities everywhere.

Personal Tasks:

Doing the dishes

Grocery shopping

Waiting on hold

Sitting in traffic

Paying the bills

Work Tasks:

Status meetings

Replying to emails

Filling out timesheets

Waiting on Zoom

Mandatory training

Look for the joy, and you just might find it. Even if it shows up in weirdly satisfying, secretly amusing, or oddly delightful ways.

Reframe Recap: Five Ways to Shift the Mundane

Let’s review a couple of ways that you can try to shift your perspective:

Have to → Get to: It’s your perspective and choice.

Find the Meaning: Find the underlying “Why”.

Forbid It: Imagine the impact or is it optional (also, consider delegation).

Play With It: Add humor, music, creativity, or movement.

Share It: Enjoy the experience with someone else.

A Final Spin

There are things you have to do, things you get to do, and things that you just do.

But the deeper question is: What kind of life do you want to live?

Even if you can’t choose your circumstances, you can still pick how you see the situation and how you show up. Make your own joy. And sometimes that’s a warm towel, or some music while you’re folding, a shared laugh, or the peace and satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

Start a Fresh Cycle – with Some Fabric Softener and a Whole Lot of Joy

Whether it’s laundry, email, or life itself, you get to choose how you engage. If you’re looking to bring intention, peace, and joy into your day-to-day (even the chores) drop me a note. Coaching can help you reframe the mundane, let go of what doesn’t serve you, and reclaim what does.

A Note From Your NYC Personal Life Coach, Whenever You’re Ready

If something here resonated and you’d like support as you sort through what comes next, I’m here. I’m an online life coach based in New York City, working with people across the United States on mindset, clarity, and joyful personal growth.

Reach me anytime at [email protected].

We can start with a short consultation to help you get clear on one meaningful next step.

Yippee! It’s Laundry Day: 5 Ways to Find Unexpected Joy in Mundane Tasks

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