Snow days! Sick days! Dishes, laundry, grocery shopping!

It seems like this past week was filled with interruptions to my life. I found myself huffing and puffing because my daughters were home from school and all of the mundane tasks in my life were taking time away from what I really wanted to do.

Do you ever hear yourself grumbling throughout the day about the little things that are part of your daily routine but are up to you to get done? It may not seem like a big deal to complain because you have to do the dishes, or the laundry or grocery shopping or that phone call, email or meeting. But if you think about it, our life is full of everyday things that we simply need to get done. I decided to make my practice to do the mundane without complaining so that I would have the energy to work on my business.

Last week I introduced you to the psychology of winning with the 80/20 rule. If you want to win in your life, you have to win in your mind and remember that your success is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics. Instead of saying “I have to go to they gym,” say “I get to go to the gym.” Instead of “I have to clean the house,” say “I get to clean the house.”

This week I want to give you another tool that will help you win in your mind so you can win in your life. How can you get yourself to take consistent action towards your goal? Change your inner conversation. Every time you hear yourself say “I have to” change it to “I get to”.

For example:

• I get to workout today.
• I get to feed myself well today.
• I get to finish my project.
• I get to make that phone call.
• I get to get up early.

Sound like a stretch? Well it most likely is, and it is a great mental exercise for you to do. As you do it more and more often for the mundane things, you will have interrupted the habit of complaining and weakened it by replacing it with a more empowering statement.

Think about how you feel when you say “I have to.” Just say it to yourself now and feel it in your body. When I do it, I feel my body slump and my energy drain. I feel tired just thinking it.

Now mentally or out loud say “I get to.” When I say it, I sit up straighter and feel a sense of excitement welling up.

This might seem like something too small to make a difference, but it is important to remember that you won’t do something very long if it feels like a chore. And if you are grumbling about all the mundane things you do in your life, that adds up to a large part of your life spent complaining.

The more get-to’s you have in your day, the more energy you will have for the things that require your talent and skills.

If you want to win in your life, train yourself to win in your mind. The simple mindfulness exercise of making the switch will help you in every area of your life. Try it. Just notice how many times you and those around your say “I have to” and see if you can make the change stick by the end of the week.