Hey Reader,
You know that feeling when you wake up and immediately start ticking off the “have-to” list?
Meetings, client calls, family commitments, workouts, and all that.
Most people’s energy gets drained just by the thoughts of what they “have to” do because they view it as an obligation instead of an opportunity.
You’re already at the top.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll uncover how to approach your daily activities from the right mental place for a happier life.
Let’s dig in.
🗯️ The subtle shift that changes everything
Recently, I had a realization.
A lot of the time, I found myself thinking, “I have to do this. I have to lead this board meeting. I have to meet with my executives. I have to pick up my kid from school.”
But then I stopped myself.
Why am I framing all of this as something I have to do?
What if I could see it differently?
More like I get to guide my team, I get to spend time with my son, I get to run a company…
And instead of feeling drained, I started feeling the privilege of being able to do these things.
It’s not that it gets any easier or that everything magically falls into place.
But the mental reframe makes me feel different and more purposeful.
Now I feel like I’m choosing my responsibilities, rather than just reacting to them.
🧠 The trap of ‘I have to’…
We know being successful can come with loads of responsibilities.
You start saying yes to more people, more deals, more responsibilities.
And without noticing, everything can become an obligation.
It’s not that you don’t love what you do.
Your mind has just learned to treat it like a checklist.
You’re thinking:
“I have to lead this meeting.”
“I have to call this client.”
“I have to show up for the team.”
“I have to pick up the kids.”
“I have to do that run workout.”
These are things you care deeply about.
But when everything starts sounding like a duty… it stops feeling like your life.
It can feel more like you’re constantly playing catch-up with your obligations, but not really connecting with why you’re doing it in the first place.
You get overwhelmed just by the thought of your activities.
And overwhelm can trigger a dip in motivation.
If you’re not careful, you start to question your life choices.
You become easily burned out, and sometimes feel like you’re losing your mind.
How is it that you’re so exhausted from doing the things you actually love to do?
You haven’t done anything wrong.
It’s because you’ve forgotten how much of this you once hoped for.
❤️ There’s power in remembering what you asked for
Let’s be honest.
This life you’re living now?
A past version of you would be in awe of it.
So what if you could start seeing everything you do now as an opportunity?
When you reframe “I have to” to “I get to,” you tap into a wellspring of gratitude and excitement.
You stop feeling like you’re giving pieces of yourself away.
You start feeling the privilege of being in the position to lead, to teach, to mentor.
You realize that each moment is an opportunity to elevate the people around you and to grow into a greater version of yourself.
Your energy fires up even more.
You become open to a deeper level of presence and purpose in everything you do.
You get to guide a group of people at work.
You get to pick up your kids from school. That’s a freaking joy…. to have kids.
You get to solve hard problems.
And that’s it…This view reconnects you with the joy, clarity, and peace you desire.
🤲 Develop the “I get to” mindset
No jokes.
Sometimes it’s hard.
Sometimes you’re tired.
But practicing any of these will create the joy of privilege in all you get to do:
- Instead of “I have to,” think: What is the privilege here? How can I show up as my highest self? What’s the biggest opportunity in this moment? This will program your mind to automatically see opportunities in every situation. Over time, you won’t even have to think about it.
- Instead of “I have to,” think: “What’s the strategic value here?” What’s the highest level of value you can create in that moment? What can you extract from that situation to grow, evolve, or help others level up? This replaces overwhelm with a surge of energy to impact.
- Instead of “I have to,” think: “How is this opportunity expanding me? “What does this challenge reveal about my next level of growth? How is this expanding your capacity as a leader? This presents tough times as a chance to push your boundaries, raise your standards, and find out what you’re capable of.
- Instead of “I have to do this,” think: “What’s the win and gift in this?” What’s my win here? It could be a strategic connection, the privilege to spend time with your kids, the gift of leading a group of executives, or the privilege to co-create something or mentor someone. That’s how you become more intentional about creating results with the opportunities you have.
💢 What’s one thing you get to do?
What if you could stop seeing all these demands as burdens and start seeing them for what they truly are? A privilege.
What if you saw your responsibilities as opportunities to step into your highest potential?
I challenge you to make this shift today.
Start by looking at the most mundane parts of your day.
We owe ourselves more clarity.
And it starts with changing how we see what we already have.
As Ryan Holiday puts it: “You don’t have to do this. You get to. You’ve been entrusted. You’ve been given this responsibility. It’s an opportunity. You’re lucky.”
So…what do you get to do today?
With appreciation
Huw
PS. Today (August 16th) I “GET” to run the Leadville 100 ultramarathon. I have the opportunity and the responsibility to show up and give it all I can.
With appreciation,
Huw
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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