Chores can be fraught with emotion, often because we attach meaning to tasks, and they can be closely tied to our mental health. Some people cannot cope with clutter; others cannot cope with getting rid of things.

There's no shame in either type of person — we're all different. But when we're trying to run a household together and we have different ways of doing things, it can make it extra difficult. If we don't have a partner, it's still hard: especially if we feel shame over how hard it is to get things done.

When setting up our adult chore charts — either as a single adult or to help divide labor in your household — we have a few tips for making it easier.

Tip #1: Figure Out Which Tasks are Important

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of things that need to be done. That's why we've tried to break the tasks down into manageable chunks. 

If looking at all the sticker sheets doesn't overwhelm you, just pick out the tasks that apply to your household.

But if you're overwhelmed by the number of stickers, just start with the tasks on the first sheet (eating and managing clutter) and build on them as time goes on.

If you're doing this with a partner, having open communication about which tasks mean a lot to you emotionally will help you feel more connected to one another *and* set you up for success. You don't need to (and shouldn't) talk about *all* the tasks - just one or two.

For example, in my house it's really important to me that the kitchen counters aren't covered in sticky yuckiness, and (for whatever reason) dog hair on the floor doesn't bother me — but it might totally gross out a partner. 

Tip #2: What does "done" look like?

If a task means a lot to you (and please note: it doesn't serve *anyone* if *every* task means a lot to you), identify what "done" looks like.

By agreeing that the dog needs to be walked for at least 10 minutes, you manage everyone's expectations.

Please note: you will have to let go of some control (and maybe lower your expectations of HOW a task is completed) in order to get things accomplished. Done is better than perfect. 

Our weekly calendar for adults can help each person schedule out tasks, decreasing stress for the person who wants to know when everything will be done, without them having to ask (which is good for everyone).