A woman draws water from a well in Dakoro, Burkina Faso, West Africa, to supply her household’s daily needs.
When I was growing up, my parents made sure my sisters and I had chores. Not occasional chores—regular chores.
Some were daily. After dinner, we swept the kitchen and mopped the floor. We cleared the table. Someone fed the dog. Someone took out the trash. Beds had to be made before leaving for school.
Then there were the weekly chores: cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, mowing the grass, and whatever else needed attention around the house.
And there was always one question that determined whether we could go see our friends:
“Have you done your chores up to now?”
If the answer was no, the conversation was over.
Chores Were Necessary…But Not Fun
Let’s be honest. I don’t remember any of those chores being fun.
They were simply part of life. They were necessary for keeping the house running well and making it a healthy place to live.
But looking back now, I realize something important.
Those chores were teaching me lessons I use every single day in my work as a photographer, videographer, storyteller, and business consultant.
The Power of Seeing Something Finished
One of the first things chores teach you is the satisfaction of completing something.
When you mow the grass, you see the difference immediately.
When you vacuum, the lines in the carpet show the work you’ve done.
When you make your bed, the room feels different.
There’s a clear before and after.
That sense of “I accomplished something” is powerful.
As a creative professional, the same principle applies. Whether it’s editing a photo story, organizing files, or delivering a final project, each completed step builds momentum.
Chores Also Teach Creativity
Something else happens when you do chores regularly.
You start figuring out how to do them better and faster.
My mother had a simple quality control system. After you cleaned the bathroom, she inspected it. If it wasn’t done right, you did it again.
It didn’t take long to realize that doing it twice took a lot more time than doing it right the first time.
So I started learning how to work smarter.
How to clean more efficiently.
How to organize the steps.
How to finish faster while still doing it well.
Without realizing it, I was learning workflow.
The Same Lesson Applies to Entrepreneurship
Today, every project I work on follows a workflow.
There are steps that must be done well:
Planning
Capturing the story
Editing
Writing captions
Keywording
Delivering the final files
None of these steps is optional if you want to produce excellent work.
Just as chores in a household keep the household healthy, so too do chores in a business.
And just like my mother inspecting the bathroom, the work eventually gets inspected by the client.
The lesson I learned early was simple:
Do it right the first time.
The “Chores” of Running a Creative Business
Every entrepreneur has parts of the job they love and parts they don’t.
Most photographers love shooting.
Most storytellers love capturing meaningful moments.
But running a successful business includes plenty of tasks that feel like chores:
Accounting
Backing up files
Sending invoices
Writing captions and metadata
Marketing
Answering emails
Following up with clients
Organizing your archive
These things may not be glamorous, but they are essential.
They are the sweeping, mopping, and trash-taking-out of running a business.
What I Tell Myself When Doing the Work I Don’t Love
Over the years, I’ve developed a few simple reminders that help me stay focused when doing the less exciting parts of the job.
1. This step supports the whole story.
Just like a clean kitchen supports a healthy home, the small business tasks support great storytelling.
2. Do it right the first time.
Fixing mistakes later always takes longer.
3. Efficiency creates freedom.
The faster I complete necessary tasks, the more time I have for creative work.
4. Consistency builds trust.
Clients notice reliability just as much as creativity.
5. Speed can set you apart.
A fast turnaround can wow a client just as much as great images.
The Motivation Changes as You Get Older
When I was young, the reward for finishing chores was simple:
I could go play with my friends.
Today, the motivation is different.
Doing the work well means:
A sustainable business
A livable income
Saving for retirement
Being able to take vacations
Having the freedom to choose meaningful projects
The stakes are higher, but the principle is the same.
The Real Lesson My Parents Taught Me
My parents probably weren’t trying to teach me about entrepreneurship.
They were simply teaching responsibility.
But those simple household chores taught something much deeper:
Discipline.
Attention to detail.
Efficiency.
Finishing what you start.
And it turns out those same lessons are exactly what it takes to build a thriving creative business.
So whenever I find myself doing one of the “chores” of running my business, I remind myself of something I learned a long time ago:
Finish the job. Do it right. Then enjoy the freedom that comes afterward.