As a coach, it’s interesting to be in a position to listen to people talk all day.

I hear some of the same things over and over.

“I have to…”

“I need to…”

“I should…”

Sound familiar?

(Feel familiar?)

“I have to go to the gym.”

“I need to go the gym.”

“I should go to the gym.”

When you think like that, how do you feel about going to the gym?

How motivated are you to put on your sneakers and walk out the door?

I suggest a small shift that will make a big difference…

Whenever you hear yourself saying one of those phrases, please stop.

Instead, complete the following sentence.

“I want to…because…”

“I want to go to the gym because… I always feel better when I do.”

“I want to go to the gym because… I want to maintain my flexibility and range of motion as I get older.”

“I want to go to the gym because… I want to have a healthy heart.

“I want to go to the gym because… I want to feel better in my pants.”

Sometimes, I catch myself saying things like “I have to do the dishes.”

Or, “I need to get to the grocery store before it closes.”

Even mundane chores can become “I want” statements.

“I want to do the dishes because I feel calmer when there’s a sense of order in the house.”

“I want to go to the grocery store because I like saving money and having breakfast at home instead of spending eight bucks at Starbucks every morning.”

I feel totally different when I think about what I want.

If you can’t answer why you “want” to do something, get curious…

Are you doing something…

…because it’s what you’ve always done?

…because it’s what everybody else is doing?

…because you feel obliged?

…because you think it’s your only option?

If you can’t complete the sentence, “I want to…because…,” it’s time to think about why you’re doing what you’re doing.

What do you want to do?

It’s not about being selfish or entitled.

It’s about clarity. It’s about motivation. It’s about thinking bigger.

It’s about living in a world where there’s more than one way to get what we want.

You don’t have to (fill-in-the-blank) in order to (fill-in-the-blank).

What are your other options?

It’s such a small question.

What do you want?

Write it in the comments below.

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