VIDEO: Do you HAVE to? Or, do you GET to?

Shifting one verbal habit will boost your energy and satisfaction; details in this quick video message from an executive coach.

TRANSCRIPT: 
Hello, I’m Tony Mayo, The Business Owner’s Executive Coach.

I’ve spoken in other videos about the defining importance of language to human life, to the quality of your life.

One of my favorite techniques, a tip, something you can incorporate into your life today, is noticing how often you say, “I’ve got to do this.” “I have to do that.”, when the reality, if you’re honest with yourself, you don’t have to. You’re not being compelled or forced. You’re choosing it. In fact, often it’s a good thing. You’ve designed your life. So you get to do that thing.

I was talking to a client some time ago, and he said to me, “I need to finish our coaching call today, “exactly on time, because I’ve got to go “to my son’s soccer game.” I said, “Whoa, whoa, no, you can’t say that to me, “or to yourself.”

You’ve designed your life. You own the factory. It’s your company. You _get_ to walk out of your office any afternoon you please, and go where you choose. Hey, you _get_ to go to your son’s soccer game today. If you don’t want to, don’t. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head.

I remember a movie, well a scene from a movie, I can’t tell you the name of it. It’s one of these prison movies and the guard is trying to get the tough prisoner out of his cell, and the prisoner won’t go, and the guard exasperated says, “You’ve _got_ to come out!”, and the prisoner looks him in the eyes and says, “The only thing I’ve _got_ to do is die.” And, as far as we know, that’s the only “got to,” the only “have to” in your life. The rest are your choices. Treat ’em that way, speak about it that way.

I hope you enjoyed this video, use it, and share it.