So many times over the last week I’ve caught myself in a steady stream of begrudging “I have tos.”
I have to get up early and work on my blog/business plan/course work/job search. I have to go to work in 15 minutes. I have to come home and read the stack of books on my kitchen table. I have to put all my energy into making this work. I have to go to sleep early so I can wake up and do it all over again.
When I read an email I enjoy, I favourite it so I can go back to it during future funks. This morning, I stumbled across a short email The Minimalists sent last week (if you don’t know who these guys are, I highly recommend checking out their blog + documentary). The line that struck me was:
What do you have to do? Would reframing those haves into gets remove some of life’s stress?
I don’t HAVE TO do any of these things; I GET to do them. I have the ability and resources to turn my passions (once I figure out what they are!) into profit, while creating a more meaningful life for myself.
I am going to use this little tweak in my inner narrative from now on, every time I feel like “I have to” do something.
Do you have any simple “hacks” you use throughout the day for positive thinking?
1 thought on “T-minus 124 days: Have to vs. get to…”