It’s amazing how a small shift in perspective can have huge consequences. Sometimes it can transform your thoughts, your feelings and your actions all at once. And those, in turn, have the power to transform your future – maybe even have an impact on a much wider scale.
Here’s one of the most useful perspective shifts I know:
Every time you catch yourself grumbling that you’ve ‘got’ to do something…
Stop.
Smile, then deliberately change that thought slightly. Tell yourself that you ‘get’ to do it. Then smile again.
Repeat this as many times as necessary.
If you already know why the activity you found yourself resenting is a privilege then the prompt reminds you of that.
If you can’t see any good side to the obligation right now then the prompt will fix that. When you think “I get to X” then your unconscious can’t help but whirr away identifying positives. You may not see them just yet — but the simple act of thinking in this way will make the task more rewarding in the future.
Can you feel the difference in attitude between these two phrases?
“I’ve got to wash the dishes” vs “I get to wash the dishes”
And there are limitless reasons why the second version might be 100% true. You get to choose which one(s) fit for you.
If you’re struggling to think of any, though, here are a couple of ideas to get you started:
- It could be a chance to practice mindfulness
- It could remind you that someone else made the meal
- It could be a way to switch off and wind down before going to bed
- You might enjoy feeling the warm water on your hands, smelling the washing up liquid, and the end result of pristine crockery
- It might remind you how lucky you are to have food
- You might get to chat with friends or family as you wash up together
- Etc etc
If you ‘have’ to do it anyway, then you might as well appreciate it rather than resent it…
Imagine how much happier you’d be if you felt positive about all the tasks you did.
Imagine how much more effectively and conscientiously you’d perform those tasks if you did them with joy and love.
And imagine how the ripples from that might spread across all areas of your life. And beyond…