100 Words a Day 557

He washed the dishes in a mechanical fashion, a trite description for an activity that one does thoughtlessly and through repetitive motion. It is much more than that though. It’s efficient. It leaves the mind free to ponder. Alternatively, one can focus on washing the dishes, turning their mind completely to that mindless activity. This has the curious effect of turning a thoughtless, automated task into an undertaking requiring considerable mental fortitude. The practice of maximizing one’s efficiency, and mechanicalness, necessitates the elimination of all extraneous movements. Curiously, regardless of one’s achievement, they still appear quite mindless to the observer.