Saying I get to instead of I have to
Swap one verb in your self-talk and the daily grind reads as a privilege
Swap have to for get to whenever a hard or tedious task comes up. Most obligations, training included, are things you once wanted and worked for, and the wording keeps that in view. Free, and it takes a few weeks to become automatic. People who use it report less dread around workouts and admin; it does nothing about the tasks you genuinely should drop.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Dwayne JohnsonDoes it
Actor and former WWE champion · The Rock
Years ago he stopped saying he has to train, or do anything he cares about, and started saying he gets to. He calls it a big psychological shift in how he handles the daily grind and has urged his followers to try the same swap.
Source: Men's Health: Dwayne Johnson Shares the Secret to His Success
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under productivity or stress.
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Writing to unload the mind, usually first thing or last thing
On record from 14 of 62 tracked people: 13 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate discomfort
Choosing the thing you do not want to do, daily, as its own training
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 2 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
A high savings rate
Bank a large share of income by spending well below what the income allows
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Accountability mirror
Telling yourself the blunt truth in the mirror every day, then fixing it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Act on the thing causing stress
Make the first call or send the first email on whatever is nagging at you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Asking for help
Four words, can you help me, used on purpose rather than as a last resort
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.