Covid gave us a whole new appreciation for toilet paper.
But if you’re finding it hard to stay motivated, maybe this toilet paper story will help.
Years ago, while working in consumer goods market research, I heard this story and recounted it this week when talking to a coaching client about her lack of motivation around dull, repetitive tasks:
Merryn was a Senior Executive with Proctor and Gamble, a large multinational consumer goods corporation. She’d been working on several of their flagship brands and so when moved to toilet paper she felt demoralised. As she recounted the news to her colleague he commented;
“Years ago I was in Budapest on a train. In my carriage was one other person, also an English speaker and so we got talking about the country, our likes and observations.
The people do seem a little on edge, they observed.
His fellow traveller looked out the window and said, “maybe it’s the toilet paper.”
They both laughed. But it was true. The toilet paper was hard and rough, and chaffed the skin with continued use. This gave Merryn a whole different perspective when it came to her toilet paper appointment. Certainly a necessity, but done poorly makes life much less comfortable.
The next time you’re lacking motivation or connection to a job, consider the toilet paper story.
Takeaways:
- Something inconsequential can have tremendous impact.
- If you link the (dull) task to a value you do care about, it will become more meaningful and inspiring.
For example, spreadsheets might be boring but the insight they provide is invaluable. Paying bills is repetitive, but the comfort of knowing all is in order is a value you covet.
As we close out the week, consider all those things you were putting off until tomorrow. Link the task to something you value and you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to get it done.
#wealthandwellbeing #mindset #leadership #successhacks #financial resilience #wellthmatrix
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