Next Time You Wash Dishes Might Be Your Last Chance

Life’s smallest tasks can often become sources of monotony and boredom. Washing dishes, doing laundry, preparing meals, and walking the dog may seem trivial. Yet, these activities cumulatively make up a significant portion of our lives. When you feel resistance to these dull routines, try this: stay in the moment.

By choosing awareness over indifference, we can fully appreciate our activities. Chores that once felt alienating in their redundancy might become engaging and interesting again. By making the most of each moment, even the “boring” ones, you can enrich the overall measure of your life.

Life Is Short

Different philosophies offer varying perspectives on the afterlife—heaven, hell, reincarnation, or simple oblivion. Regardless of your beliefs, one thing is certain: your time in this life, as you experience it, is not very long. However, embracing presence in everyday activities can “expand” your sense of time.

One reason life seems to speed up as we age may be our tendency to prioritize thinking over observing. When we are young, each new moment is a curious encounter with the unknown. Over time, adult sensibilities solidify, and the illusion of familiarity takes hold.

When driving to the store or sending a work email, remember that this is part of your life. Distracting yourself from what you’re doing won’t change anything. By focusing on these tasks, rather than overthinking them, you may regain your sense of living. Much effort and time are wasted when we try not to be present in what we’re doing.

Nothing Is “Ordinary”

It’s common to prefer certain people, experiences, or sensations. When you’re engaged with the communities or activities you love most, notice how much you’re able to absorb. If, like me, you’re a big movie fan, reflect on how completely you’re captivated by what’s on screen. In this state of awareness, you’re not even thinking about what you’re doing. Thoughts like “I’m so glad I chose to sit down and watch a movie today” don’t crop up. Instead, your entire attention resides in the experience itself.

What if you applied that same involvement and surrender to the day-to-day things you “don’t like” to do? It may sound daunting, but as you shift from escape to presence, your feelings change.

When you’re doing the dishes, listen to the sound of the water flowing from the faucet onto the plates. Notice its temperature on your hands or feel the rubberiness of the gloves you’re wearing. Watch the water swirl down the drain, encircling and then disappearing like plasma into a black hole. When your senses engage in this way, does the activity still feel boring?

Granted, there’s not going to be an adrenaline rush or dopamine spike from doing the dishes. But subtle presence can lend a contemplative pleasure to the simplest chores.

State of Mind Is Everything

Let’s revisit the earlier example and add a new element: your partner broke up with you two weeks ago while you were watching a movie together. Now, as you sit down for a cinematic experience, is the enjoyment a bit more complicated? Thoughts emerge about the memory—where you sat, the film itself, the argument you had before it. Your attention is completely diverted.

Alternatively, let’s say you hear about a big promotion as you leave for work. When you get home, there are still some dishes to do. Without thinking about Spotify or YouTube, you tackle the dishes, happy as can be.

So what happened? The explanation is simple. The state of mind you bring to an activity affects how you experience it. While it might seem like you’re “just” watching a movie or doing dishes, you are participating in that activity as you are. You were present when those hard or wonderful things happened before. What your logic sees as discrete, unrelated events are part of the same continuous consciousness.

When you realize how flexible the mind can be, it becomes clear that we often overemphasize our preferences. The more important factor is our state of mind. For someone in deep despair, even favorite hobbies no longer seem stimulating. Yet, with gratitude and presence, routine tasks can become meaningful and pleasurable.

You can rest in presence or become distracted and restless—the same dichotomy applies to every activity. When you notice your mind wandering, let the impulse come and go; don’t indulge it. Then, notice what happens: you fall into a more relaxed, alert, and pleasant experience.

All of Your Life Is Your Life

Remember that each moment you have to live is a precious gift. Wake up and take that first breath in the morning. Feel the sunlight touch your skin for the first time in the day. Everything matters: it all makes up the churning whole unfolding around you. Nothing has an independent quality that needs to be captured and judged by your mind.

Your experience will be as much, if not more, affected by how you approach it than by the activity itself. So live while you’re alive, and do everything as though it’s your last chance.