Make Awful Deeds Better by Combining Them
At any given time, I put off at least one phone call to the utility company. Whether he calls ConEd with updated readings, or calls Spectrum (good try with tricky name change, Time Warner Cable, we still know it’s you) to ask why the cost of my internet continues to rise, I’m afraid these calls because I know they will take forever.
There are also household chores that I avoid at all costs because they are boring and I don’t want to do them. This includes everything from washing the bathtub to washing the stove and cleaning the closet – it’s all very easy to put off when you live alone and there is no one to judge you.
That’s why I invented a system to kill two boring, hang-out rabbits in one shot. First I call, and when they inevitably put me on standby, I switch the phone to speaker mode and get to work. Annoying music to hold is the perfect soundtrack for a boring task like folding clothes or cleaning the fridge .
Then I try to do as much as possible while I wait to speak to the representative in the order in which my call was received. This is partially due to the fact that I make myself think that this is some kind of (admittedly rather boring) game in which I am the winner and the time that I saved.