When we bought a home, mowing the lawn became my responsibility. I knew I could look at it as a chore that needs to be done but eventually a task that annoys me and could make me bitter about the whole thing.

So I decided to learn all I could about lawn maintenance, which tools I need, and how to use them. And it became a point of pride for me and a challenge rather than a chore.

So mowing the lawn, the very act of it, is now a joy and something I look forward to. All my work (de-thatching, aerating, seeding, fertilizing, watering, pH balancing, edging, etc) pays off when I mow the lawn now and it makes mowing something I look forward to and never have to be bothered to do.

It was a shabby lawn when I took it over and now it’s a thick, lush carpet that I enjoy very much.

Nice idea. There’s a moral there somewhere.

Taking an hour once/week over the summer to do the yard is actually very relaxing. Put a podcast on or music and shut out the world for awhile. When done, it's a great physical reward of a completed job.