There is a big difference between “Have to” and “Get to”. Yes, I “Have to” go to work so I can pay for the necessities of life. But everything else should really be thought of as a “Get to”. Seriously … EVERYTHING else should be a “Get to”! (and before you think to post a comment about how you “Have to” breath or some other bodily function … I’m not talking about things that your body does on its own)

Quick, think of something (other than work) to complete this sentence …

“I have to _____________.”

Did this have a negative feeling to it for you? If you said yes, then maybe it’s time to change your focus from “Have to” to “Get to”.

How can you change that sentence you thought of to ….

“I get to ______________.” and still have that same goal accomplished?

If you are finding this difficult, let’s take a look at this through a couple of examples.

Example A:

I have to do laundry today.

Most people don’t like doing laundry. But, this can become ….

I get to have a full range of clothing to choose from in my wardrobe because I will do laundry today.

Example B:

I have to take the dog for a walk.

Families all over the world fight about whose turn it is to walk the dog. Parents tell their kids that they will be responsible for this, if the family gets a dog, and then scold the kids for not doing this “chore”. Well, this can become ….

I get to get exercise and fresh air, maybe even run into a neighbor or two to socialize, by taking the dog for her walk.

Example C:

I have to drive in holiday traffic to go to Thanksgiving Dinner at my relative’s house.

This one is coming up for us here in America soon. And I can pretty surely say that almost EVERYONE is going to be dreading this. But, this can become ….

I get to spend time with family, have laughs and enjoy their company and eat some yummy food. Yes, I may need to be in traffic, but it’s extra time I normally don’t get to spend listening to music or a podcast, or chatting with those travelling with me.

The difference between “Have to” and “Get to” is all about mind set. You can take ANY situation and look at all the negatives about it. Or, you can choose to find the positive. I am not sure who to attribute this quote to, but it is such a great one to think of every day …

Not every day is a good day, but there is good in every day.

Honestly, this is a GREAT thing to print out, place on your bathroom mirror, and look at every single day! Focus on the positive!

You can do this! It may take mental effort to begin with, but if you purposely start to focus on the positive you will find that it gets easier and easier to automatically focus on the positive. If it makes it easier, do I what I do. I joined a “Gratitude” community online. Every day I go to this app, I read the posts by others, and give them the “thumbs up” to share the positive vibes, and I post my own things that I am grateful for. I also have begun to use a dry erase board (a small one) that I keep next to my coffee maker. Every day I write on it with either something to motivate me (even if it’s to just do the daily chores that must get done, or I’ll put something to be thankful for. But I make sure to keep it a positive! And I try to make what I write on there be a “GET TO” rather than a “HAVE TO”. So far for today I wrote ….

And there is space left at the bottom to add things that were great that happened during the day. [and there’s my little animation “Herbie the Hairball” that I’ve been drawing since junior high school! 🙂 ]

I may “Have to” end this blog post here, but that’s only so that you “Get to” read it! Have a great day!!