Have to Vs. Get to

Last week I was decorating the house and baking for the holidays, when I noticed how I was feeling.

I caught myself rushing, trying to finish as quickly as possible. I was treating getting ready for the season like a chore.

And then I stopped and thought, what's up? You love this. What are you doing? So I put on some music and took a breath.

I remembered that I love baking. I love making the house feel cozy for the holidays. I love taking each ornament out of the box, remembering where it came from and placing it on the tree. I love the twinkling lights covering our front porch..

That's the difference between "have to" and "get to."

Same activity. Completely different experience.

This attitude and way of thinking shows up everywhere - especially in business.

I have to attend a networking meeting. I have to send my newsletter. I have to finish this client project.

Or:

I get to build relationships that turn into clients. I get to run a business that gives me time flexibility. I get to do work people actually pay me for.

Different perspective. Different energy.

As we head into the last week of 2025, I want to invite you to try something.

Look back at this year. Not at what you didn't do. At what you did.

What did you build? What did you learn? What did you survive? What are you proud of - even if it's small?

And then look at how you've been framing things.

Where have you been saying "have to" when you could say "get to"?

This isn't about faking it, or pretending hard things aren't hard.

It's about owning your thoughts. Choosing your perspective. Recognizing that you have more control over your experience than you think.

You get to complete 2025 on your terms.

You get to decide what you carry forward and what you leave behind.

You get to start 2026 with intention.

That's the power of owning how you see things.