Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could you just let the water evaporate? If you spend just 5 minutes per meal drying dishes, that equals a quarter of an hour per day, or 91 hours each year.

Imagine spending almost four days in a row standing at the sink drying dishes. No eating. No sleeping. No bathroom breaks. Just drying dishes for four days straight.

Now imagine doing something else with that time. Savoring the fresh air. Going on a camping trip. Playing with your children. Volunteering at the food bank. Upgrading your career skills. You can do a lot in four days.

Or you can dry dishes.

Some chores we have to do (like washing the dishes). But some are optional. You are given a short time to live. How you spend that time is your choice.

This inspiration was first published in A Daily Dose of Happiness, to which one subscriber commented:

"Another thought is, do dishes, laundry, sweeping, dusting, and other chores as a family. The best conversations I ever had with my parents, grandparents, and other family members were when we were doing dishes or laundry, etc. TOGETHER!"

To that, I had to laugh...and respond: "Indeed, folding laundry is what passes for going on a date in our house!"

David Leonhardt is author of 'Climb Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 Habits of Maximum Happiness'

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