We Don't Have to Do Shit!

Last fall I was lucky enough to get to speak to a large group of Realtors about some life lessons I learned during my 6-week excursion to Costa Rica.

My favorite part of the presentation was the segment titled:

“We Don’t Have To Do Shit!”

Yes, I know I could have “rounded out” the edges there, but I CHOSE not to. I wanted to make a statement.

See, if you’re anything like me, you may have a habit of saying things like:

I HAVE TO…

I GOTTA…

I NEED TO…

And yet, even after DEMANDING ourself into action, those very things we "SHOULD" do, end up slipping through the cracks.

Can you relate?

Well, I've got good news!!?You don't have to do shit!

See, every day we wake up and we GET to make choices. Some are conscious and some are unconscious, but nonetheless, unless someone is physically forcing our hand, we get to CHOOSE all the things we do every day.?

In my experience of working with and coaching a lot of people (myself included), when we use gotta’s, have to’s, and need to’s, we end up feeling like we don’t have a choice. It feels like we are TRAPPED, and when people feel trapped, they tend to REVOLT. ?

Hence the reason why we fight against the must do’s in our life.

You following me here?

I guess the point is that IF we want to create the life we truly love, THEN we gotta get rid of the all the “gotta’s”.

It’s for this reason that I’ve been PRACTICING something over the last year or so. Every time I catch myself saying “I gotta, need to, or have to”, I try to FLIP my internal dialogue.

So, instead of demanding myself to move, I use IF… THEN… statements.?

When we say If… then… we are forced to remind ourselves of the result we want to get before we think about the required actions. That way we can tie our ACTIONS with the OUTCOME we DESIRE. In theory, this will help us recognize that we are choosing the tasks so we can get what we want, rather than being forced to do anything.?

Yes, it may just seem like semantics, but sometimes we have to trick ourselves to get what we want. It’s these little TRICKS that over timed can create BIG changes.

So, what do you gotta do today? WHY are you doing it? What’s the desired outcome? If you don’t know, perhaps you don’t gotta do it at all. Perhaps you can find some other activities that will create the outcomes you truly desire.

Here’s to your journey in our world, my friend. Make it a fantastic day and I hope to see you soon.