We’ve got PCs, netbooks, iPhones, iPods, and iPads; Wiis, Miis, and MP3s; Segways, GPS, and TiVo. But we still can’t tell the laundry to pick itself up off the floor, toss itself into the washer, and bring along one of those handy all-in-one detergent packs. No matter how much technology does for us, we still have chores—those tedious daily and weekly tasks that not even the Roomba robot vacuum can eliminate.

So how do we make these mundane tasks less mundane? Try turning them into a daily obstacle course.

The next time you go through your daily chore routine, note what you do and how long it takes. Later, create a numbered list of these activities, shaving five minutes off the time of each chore (try doing this on a dry-erase board). Set a kitchen timer to push yourself, and get to work. Don’t take any shortcuts … the challenge is to do the job right but in less time.

How did you do? Record your times. Then every day, try to shave another minute or two from your time. You’ll forget about the tedium of the chores as you push to beat your time. And the harder you work, the more of a workout you’ll get.