Have a Long To-Do List? Time for an 'Admin Date'

Life tasks like paying bills, canceling subscriptions, and answering overdue emails are becoming a reason to socialize for friends, couples, roommates, and other people who get together for what are known as "admin dates." The low-pressure gatherings taking place in coffee shops, accommodating bars, and private homes are intended to turn tedious and procrastination-inducing adult responsibilities into productive time with a twist, per the AP. Tackling a personal to-do list alongside others is a double-duty activity that combines the satisfaction of tending to necessary chores with the no-less-vital work of nurturing relationships.

"You can have both—getting things done and connecting with people," says Thema Bryant, a Pepperdine University psychology professor and past president of the American Psychological Association. Romantic or business partners looking to get on the same page, as well as club members or volunteers collaborating on a big project, also may find admin dates helpful.

• Why doing life together feels good: Dealing with too many uncompleted tasks can feel overwhelming to some people, but whittling away at them in the company of trusted friends or even strangers engrossed in their own screens can clear some of the mental fog and foster a sense of community, says Bryant. One reason admin dates can help with productivity is because of modeling, a theory from behavioral psychology about learning by observing and imitating others, she says, adding that seeing other people check off items on their agendas can motivate us to do the same.
• Before your admin date: Ahead of your gathering, discuss how often and for how long the participants want to meet, what level or kind of social interaction they want to have, and the kind of work they have languishing, experts advise. The latter will influence where an admin date takes place. Some people work best in relative quiet, and some tasks can get noisy or are location-dependent, like grocery shopping or home maintenance. Creating an emotionally safe and mutually productive environment also will inform who's invited to the event and may require establishing some guidelines.
• Don't forget to have fun: Food and beverages figure into most admin dates at some point, so deciding if they'll be shared and, if so, how the costs will be managed are other factors to consider. Since admin dates are supposed to be communal, focusing only on tasks that require deep concentration or silence can undercut the social element that makes them appealing in the first place. Even if your to-do list is a mile long, remember to leave room for conversation, life updates, and laughs.
• Caveat: Experts generally advise against meeting up in this way with regular work colleagues, especially supervisors, because it might add unnecessary pressure or create self-consciousness that's counterproductive to confronting in-box gremlins. More here.