We all have those repetitive tasks that help us take care of our lives: laundry, dishes, making the bed, grocery shopping, etc. While some people choose to include them on their master list I often feel they clutter it up with things that are more habits than tasks. After all, if you eat on a plate each day, then each day there will be dishes that need to be done as part of your daily life rhythm.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post discussing an app called Habit List which could be a great way to manage many of these tasks if you’re on your own. However, if you live with others (roommates, partner, and/or kids), then you might want to take a look at Chorma. It turns your regular household “chores” into a game where family members can earn points and turn in points for rewards. (iOS only unfortunately.)
When Brian and I first moved in together we wanted to find a way to track all the household habits. (I really dislike the word chores because it sounds like hard work to me.) Brian hit on the idea of gamifying it, and that’s what led us to Chorma.
Getting Started with Chorma
Here’s how we got started:
•Create a list of all the household “chores” that need to happen and the frequency if relevant (daily, 3x week, 1x week, etc.)
•Assign a points value to each activity – some things take more time or are more unpleasant than others and thus worth more.
•Identify rewardsand how many points each is worth. (We specifically chose rewards that weren’t financial so they wouldn’t be dependent on our current budget status. Thus our rewards are primarily experience/time based.)
•Download the app on everyone’s phones & get connected to the same “household” together on the app. Changes made on one phone will automatically appear on all other household phones.
That’s it! Then we just got started, and now we include checking on our Chorma points during our weekly family meetings. After using it for several years, I will acknowledge that it helped build the habits to the point of consistency and trading in the reward points has become less important to us. Brian tells me that he likes seeing his numbers continue to go up however, so it’s continuing to provide motivation nonetheless.
Next Actions
Looking for a better way to manage these tasks with your roommates or family? Then, share this post with them and see if they’re open to giving it a try. Have you found other apps that work similarly? I’d love to have you share your experience in the comments below!
