Now, when I’m bored I don’t go and shoot a smiley face of bullets into the wall, like some people do (looking at you, Sherlock Holmes). But that’s often how I feel inside. Bored. Bored. BORED. I’d rather inflict non-renter-friendly property damage than do what I need to do. Absolutely.

And actually, one of the first things I wrote about here was how to make chores less boring.

But…let’s be honest.

Some things are just boring. Sometimes the tediousness endures beyond all your tricks, beyond all your games to make it more exciting.

What then? What do you do when something is just boring?

Don’t be mad…

Now, there are two categories of horribly boring things: stuff you need to do, and stuff you don’t technically need to do but you really should.

And you’re not gonna like this, but the method of doing both is the same. And it’s simple. And it’s obvious.

Do. The. Thing.

I know, I know.

“Lucy, I really don’t need another person telling me that I just need to push through and do it.”

Yeah. I’m right there with ya. It drives me crazy. But I think the worst part about that advice is that, deep down, we all know it’s true.

Because, when push comes to shove…that’s the answer.

And we could get fancy with it, for sure. Complicate it. Talk about lists and timers and dry-erase boards with goals on it and fun apps to track progress. We could talk about all of that. And if some of those things help you stay on target, that’s great.

But the great bummer of life is this: it’s up to you.

Now, there are definitely limits to that statement. For sure. I mean, we aren’t God. Ultimately, he decides. But he did give us free will. He gave us the ability to choose. He will call us, invite us into a relationship, but ultimately we need to say yes.

And just like we each have to choose if we’re going to follow God, pursue a relationship with him, listen to him, and love him, we also get to choose the little things.

Are we going to write that essay? Do those dishes? Slog through that assigned reading even though it’s like pulling teeth? (Brad, I promise that last one’s not about school, it’s just an example.)

Ultimately–regardless of what tools you have in place, like timers and whiteboards and reminders and self-help apps–you have to choose to do it. Nobody is going to make you.

I mean, they can try. But you still have to take the first step.

It’s kind of layered thing.

Like, the only reason I have assigned reading is because I chose to go to school. I took the first step. Brad has every right to give me work, and expect it to be done on time. But technically he can’t make me. I could be a brat about it. What’s he gonna do? How is he going to force me to read? He can take actions against me, like kick me out of school or have an intervention, but there’s really no way for him to make me read. I have to choose to do it. I’ll have to get it done within his timeline, sure, but I have to make the choice to sit down, open the book, and keep reading even when I’m bored out of my mind. (Again, Brad, I promise I don’t actually feel this way, this is a hypothetical example. Please don’t be mad at me.)

The only reason I have dirty dishes is because I made them dirty, then chose not to clean them.

Nobody is going to make you get better until you decide you want it. Not even God.

And just because you alone have to decide to do something doesn’t mean that you have to do the something alone. My cousin and I used to do our math homework together over FaceTime. We were in different grades and different schools, and we wouldn’t even say anything. We would just lock in and get it done, knowing that someone was right beside us (even if not physically).

So, the choice is yours, and it’s yours alone. But remember that choosing alone is just step one. Choosing alone doesn’t mean staying alone. I mean, if you really think about it, we’re all choosing alone together. I know that’s corny. Don’t I always get corny, just a little bit?

And not all boring is bad.

I’ve said this more than once, I think, so I’ll be quick.

But if your dreading doing something because it’s “boring,” take a second to evaluate if that’s actually true.

Maybe it’s not so bad. Maybe you just don’t want to be alone with your thoughts for that long. I know I feel like that when I do dishes or laundry–I want to put something on, like TV, to make it “interesting.” In reality, I just don’t want to think.

I talk more about this in Absolutely Nothing. Nothing can be good for you. I promise.

It’s okay to take a break once in a while.

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