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Daniel Pink explains how reframing "I have to" as "I get to" taps intrinsic motivation and makes habits stick. He uses running as his main example, showing how autonomy and internal reasons for behavior create lasting change.
Daniel Pink explains how reframing "I have to" as "I get to" taps intrinsic motivation and makes habits stick. He uses running as his main example, showing how autonomy and internal reasons for behavior create lasting change.
You know that exercise is good for you. You know that when you come back from a run, you're going to feel better than when you started. Except at the moment when you're contemplating putting on your shoes, you're not in the mood. So what do you say to yourself? Ugh, I have to run. Ugh, I have to exercise. Let's switch that. Change from I have to run to I get to run. Get to taps your intrinsic motivation, your innate desires to do what you want to do. You actually like running. You run for a purpose. You run for a reason. Running makes you better. Remind yourself of that, saying, hey, I get to do this thing that is meaningful. I get to do this thing that makes me healthier. You are much more likely to stick with behavior when you're doing it for internal reasons and you're doing it autonomously rather than forcing yourself to do it.
