Ah, your parents/guardians are at it again? Why haven’t you taken out the garbage? Cleaned the dishes? Fed your pets? Done the laundry?  Cleaned the cat’s litter box? Taken the dog for a walk?

Chores sound like an evil word, but they aren’t. They are a necessary part of life, even for adults. They contribute to a cleaner environment and a healthier you, but also prepare you for the job market. It’s just a matter of perspective.

When it comes to household duties like taking out the garbage, raking the leaves or shovelling snow: you are assessing risk. You have carefully examined the yard and see that it needs to be cleaned before it becomes a risk to someone else. Things can be hidden in leaves, or someone could slip on the patch of ice near your car. You are being proactive regarding your safety and the safety of others, which is very important in the workforce, especially when knowing the best equipment or strategy for the job.  In addition to that, you are helping promote a clean and safe work environment, also made that way by cleaning the dishes. The more the “mess” is added or not treated to, the more dangerous it becomes – hiding dangers, expanding fall risks, or creating possible health issues.

Feeding the pets is a little different as you are learning to be caregiver. This applies to looking after yourself, as you need to ensure you are getting the calories and vitamins you need in order to promote a healthy lifestyle. Even if your pet is placed on a diet or has special conditions from the vet, you are learning to adapt to the conditions of your work environment, and therefore are learning time management skills and the importance of how a chore isn’t seen as a chore to your pet, they need to be fed.  You also learn how not to overdo things; you can feed an animal (and yourself) too much.

Chores are repetitive. They are nearly identical tasks, performed day after day, week after week, month after month. And they’re important. This helps immensely in workplaces dealing with respective tasks, particularly if you choose a job that involves scanning documents, answering phone calls or managing spreadsheets. They may seem boring and unimportant, but they matter a lot to managers who need  documents, people inquiring about  business, or the numbers on the spreadsheets for the folks in Accounting.

To work effectively, chores should be simple, such as opening the doors to the business if you’re the key holder to ensure that it’s safe and nothing has been damaged overnight. You are ensuring the daily task of filling the coffee pot is completed for your co-workers, and that everything is kept up-to-date such as timesheets or spreadsheets, and it is little patterns like these that help contribute to a optimal working environment.

Doing chores can be a bother, but everyone has to do them. You may not realize that they are doing you any good now, but understanding that they contribute to a greater, more organized life, can benefit you for years to come! So, don’t be afraid to pick up that broom next time- just get it done!