I don't like taking the trash out. It never feels like a good enough reason to go out on its own. Really, getting dressed and putting shoes for the great privilege of holding literal garbage and dealing with the outside world? It can wait another hour.
And then I look up three days later, and it's overflowing, which is worst of all worlds.
So here's the rule. When I see the trash is getting full, all I have to do is bag it. I'm already standing there, I can see the problem coming, that's enough motivation to take 30 seconds for bagging. The bag goes by the door.
Next time I go out, which is usually no more than a few hours, all I have to do is pick up the bag and stop by the trash before going where I was already going. I'm already mentally checked out planning where I have to go and when I have to be there, so it happens on pure autopilot. If I don't think about it, it's not effort, which means I can't dislike or procrastinate on it.
Perfect.
Recycling is trickier, as the bin needs to be returned inside afterwards. I could make a round trip, but leaving only to immediately return distinctly feels like effort, or at least wasted time. Besides, doing it at the same time as the trash would also occupy both hands, which is likely to cause issues if I'm heading out and carrying things.
Instead, I take out the recycling on the way back in. If I've only just returned I'm unlikely to be on a tight schedule so the extra time to make another trip out and back is negligible. It's just one more step to the trip, not its own task, of course I can dump the recycling before I settling in.
Take both habits together and it never feels like I'm actually doing the work, only slightly extending my existing routines. Much better than doing either on their own.
- Rew
Nightly Notes
The only reason I know what day is is routinely is because I have to enter it when scheduling these posts. Problem is, they release at midnight the next day, so in my head the date is always tomorrow's date. Hasn't caused actual problems yet, but it trips me in conversation occasionally.
I suppose it's better than not knowing the date at all.
- Rew