The 10-Pick-Up Game

This game started my make-chores-more-fun mission in life. My little sister and I would play this when we had a particularly messy room.

It relies on the power of progress. You see results and build momentum. If you know anything about sports, momentum is something you want on your side.

This is a great collaborative game to play with kids. Not too long ago, I taught "The 10-Pick-Up Game" to my 4-year-old granddaughter. Suddenly, cleaning the playroom went from torturous to triumphant.

Grown-ups can rock this game solo too. It might seem silly at first, but it works. Trust me on that.

How it works
You have a messy room or area to clean. Pick a home base, such as a bed or chair. Pick up and put away items, counting from one to 10. Once you hit 10 items return to home base. If you’re playing with others, wait for them to complete the round.

This is an important part of the game: Look around at your good work. Relish the progress you’ve made. Decide if you need to go for another round. Repeat until you have completed the job.

What I like about this game:

• It breaks a large daunting job into small doable steps.
• The counting distracts my mind from the drudgery of the larger task at hand.
• I enjoy small wins when I stop and appreciate the progress I’ve made.
• It builds enthusiasm and energy.

This game has stood the test of time. Let me know if you give it a try. I’ve actually used a variation of it to change a lifelong bad habit. More on that later.