There is a very short phrase I am fed up with hearing.
“I’ve got to.”
Oh my goodness! What an over-used melodramatic statement that is!!
I know you’ve heard it before and you probably use it yourself several times a day. And it is about time you tossed it out of your vocabulary!
Psychologically speaking, every time we hear the phrase “I’ve got to”, whether from others or even between our own two ears, our brain interprets it as a heavy negative burden.
And so its mere usage saps energy and de-motivates even before we start taking the action we supposedly “gotta do.”
I mean, just feel the weight of these sentences:
- I’ve got to get this work finished
- I’ve got to pay the bill on time
- I’ve got to get here then go there and then I’ve got to be back here by four.
Even something as innocuous as “I’ve got to pick up the kids” or “I’ve got to meet my partner for dinner” have undertones of negativity or tension.
Action – To remind yourself of the blessings in you life, change “I’ve got to” to “I get to.”
Do this for a week. I guarantee you that at the end of the seven days, you’ll feel lighter, motivated and reconnected to some of the joys of life.