Why most Aussies would rather try to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded than tackle life admin

Life admin. Paperwork. Adulting.

Call it what you want, most people call it tedious.

And more than one-third of Australians would call it “overwhelming”, according to research that suggested the average person would rather assemble an IKEA flatpack without instructions than tackle administrative tasks.

The February survey, conducted with 625 Australian adults by Intuit QuickBooks via Pollfish, found 41 per cent of those surveyed found administrative tasks somewhat difficult or overwhelming. Even the more than half of those (53 per cent) who said they did not mind admin felt it got overwhelming sometimes.

Asked to rank life admin against other painful tasks, it was considered less appealing than solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded, untangling a box of “never-ending” fairy lights and reading the terms and conditions on a software update.

However, it was viewed as less painful than watching paint dry, walking on hot coals or cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush.

When it comes to where life administration gets tackled, forget about the study or even the kitchen table: 44 per cent of people surveyed admitted to doing it in an unconventional setting, from the toilet to the shower — even mid-gym class.

A similar number of people felt they had missed out on important life events because of life admin (40 per cent), that it had hurt their relationship (43 per cent) or that it created significant strain in their life (48 per cent).

And nearly one-quarter of Australians (22 per cent) were not sure how to have an open conversation about the pressure of life admin with their partner.

Of those surveyed more than half (53 per cent) were either small business owners or knew someone who was.

A separate survey, also by QuickBooks, suggested small business owners were more likely to suffer than others. Of 500 small business owners surveyed, 65 per cent expressed a “profound desire” to reclaim time lost to administrative tasks.