“Two-Word” Principles

In Issue #9 (September 2023), titled “Possibility Thinking,” we looked at two “Two-Word” principles: “Even though…I will…” and “Yes, A-N-D…”

“Even though…I will…” is possibility thinking that moves us forward (“Even though I fell down, I will get up.”) and “Yes, A-N-D…” removes “but” from the equation, turning a negative thought or comment into a positive one (“Yes, I fell down, A-N-D I will get up.”).

I recently came across another “Two-Word” principle courtesy of James Clear in his book, Atomic Habits.  This principle, when applied, can change one’s perspective immediately.  The principle is: “Have to -> Get to.”

In January 2023 I was diagnosed with mild calcific tendinosis on the patellar tendon on my right knee.  This is the tendon that attaches the bottom of the kneecap to the top of the shinbone.  I had first noticed an issue in July 2022 when Dave and I were in Waterton National Park.  We were hiking a very steep trail called Bear’s Hump and I thought I had injured my knee hiking down the trail.  Over the summer, it seemed fine, but it acted up again in October sending a searing pain down the front of my right leg, below the kneecap.  Being an avid hiker, I wanted to get this addressed before hiking season started again in the summer of 2023.

I went to the doctor, who sent me for an x-ray and an ultrasound.  While the      x-ray was clear – “Hooray, no fractures!” – the ultrasound revealed multiple tiny calcifications on the patellar tendon, the largest of which was 4 mm’s.  Essentially, those calcifications weakened the tendon and the tendon needed to be strengthened.

The treatment – physio.  Not a short-term commitment, either; it was long-term.  For five weeks I went for weekly physio appointments returning home each time with a regiment of exercises I needed to do at home (at least 5 days per week lasting anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour each day).  After the first five weeks the appointments were more spread out, but I still had to exercise at home – for months - which was time consuming.

Aside from the fact that it was cute when every time I lay on my back on my yoga mat to do my exercises, our little seven-pound dog, Lacie, thought it was fun to jump on my chest and give me a face full of puppy kisses, doing physio wasn’t exactly the highlight of my day and it was easy to complain.

James Clear’s principle changed all that – an immediate change in perspective led me to feeling completely different about the situation.  Instead of, “I HAVE TO do physio tonight,” “I GET TO do physio tonight to get ready for hiking season.”  A shift, involving a simple “Two-Word” principle immediately changed my outlook, turned a negative into a positive and I found myself facing forward.  So simple, yet so impactful.

What situation are you facing that can you change from a

“Have to” to a “Get to?”

How does that make you feel?

Are there other “Two-Word” principles you can think of?

Recommended Resources

-          Atomic Habits by James Clear.

-          Article by Tim Sanders – “Turn a have-to into a get-to.”   https://timsanders.com/turn-a-have-to/

Monthly Challenge

-          For the upcoming week, write down a list of all the things you “Have To” do.  Then review the list and change the “Have to’s” to “Get to’s.”

-          Do this each week for a month and note the change in your perspective.