This simple shift can change everything.

It’s hard to believe 2022 is right around the corner. Time moves so freaking fast and this beautiful life is short.

Because life is short, it is important to spend more time on the things that matter and less on the things that don’t. 

If today was my last day on earth, I certainly wouldn’t spend it checking my inbox or sorting laundry. 

But at this stage in the game, onerous tasks like checking my inbox and sorting laundry are unavoidable. They’re part of life.

So in order to make these tasks more meaningful, I’ve started doing something you may have tried yourself. 

I’ve started saying “I get to…” instead of “I have to…” do something.

Now I get to sort my inbox. And this shift in perspective away from obligation (have to) to choice (get to) is wonderful… in theory.

I understand that it’s supposed to help me feel empowered and grateful. I understand that it’s supposed to elevate my work beyond the drudgery of obligation. I get that.

But it’s as if my subconscious mind sees through the ruse, leans over, and whispers in my ear, “You do know this is a load of shit, right? Sorting through email is a drag.”

I could just leave it at that, I suppose.

I could just cave and say, you know what? This IS a drag.

But then I’d be stuck feeling like I’m wasting time on meaningless tasks. So here’s what I’m doing instead.

I still say “I get to sort my inbox…” but I add to that the reason why I’m grateful to be doing this task. For example:

“I get to sort my inbox and I’m grateful for that because it’s a chance to recognize the abundance of opportunities I have, to feel connected to my colleagues and community, and the pleasure of deleting a slew of emails is undeniable.”

For me, that one simple change -- expressing the reason why I’m grateful to be doing a task -- has made all the difference in the world.

You can’t completely eliminate tedious tasks from your life, but you can make almost any task meaningful by focusing on gratitude.