Indeed. I enjoy vacuuming (sorry iRobot) for the mindlessness, repetitive pattern and results. Likewise, mowing and hedge trimming. And, dubiously, I’m building a small wooden boat for something “completely different”.

To connect with the technology theme, I think these tasks make me a better professional. Being able to enjoy the mundane makes code maintenance less awful (keep those patches coming!). Being able to quiet my mind leads to clearer thinking and creativity when problem solving and in crisis (code red!). And, there is some research that suggest fine motor tasks lead to better memory.

Now I need to unload the dishwasher…