As a high performer, you pride yourself on getting things done.
With an ever-growing to-do list, your commitment to complete your tasks can make you prone to “shoulding” on yourself.
“Shoulding” is the act of turning what you want to do into what you “should” do. This nuanced change in both language and outlook can hurt your ability to complete your to-do’s. When you use “should”, you are essentially changing your desires into obligations. There is nothing more demotivating than obligations.
A good sign that you’re “shoulding” yourself is if your task list keeps growing and you find it hard to get started. When this happens, remind yourself of WHY you are doing these tasks and how they tie into your ultimate goals. When you’re in execution mode, it’s easy to keep crossing tasks off your list but forget why you’re doing what you’re doing.
If upon closer inspection, the tasks you’ve set up for yourself no longer help you get to where you want to go, remove the task from your list.
Remember:
Shoulds decrease motivation. Wants increase motivation.
What is on your to-do list that is making you feel guilty for not completing it? This is a good sign that you’ve changed your WANT into a SHOULD.
Inspired by Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles.
Photo by Dennis Hamilton
