I want to wash the dishes!

Getting busy lately, I hear certain words pounding in my head: "I should". I should wash the dishes. I should walk the dog. I should study Korean. I should get some sleep. I don't know where this voice is coming from, but it's loud and clear. It's the voice trying to rule my life that I don't want to listen to. I've determined one thing: it's not God!

How do I know this? Simple - it makes me feel guilty, ashamed, lazy, and most especially - it makes me not want to do the very thing it's suggesting!

That "should" is really all about obligation. I have to do something, I'm supposed to, I must... for someone else or simply for the abstract "right thing to do". There's a teeter-totter in my head. As soon as that weighty word "should" jumps in on one side, interest and desire, which weren't very heavy in the first place, go flying off the other.

So what's a busy person to do? Ask for strength to do all the shoulds? Not do them and feel guilty?

I've learned a better solution. It's all a matter of vocabulary! Change "should" to "want to". As soon as I think I "should" do something, before all the weariness kicks in, I rephrase it in my mind to I "want to" do it. I want to wash the dishes. I want to walk the dog. I want to study Korean.

See, because the truth is, ultimately I really do want these things. I don't "feel" like getting started, but I definitely want them done. Washing the dishes is often a great time for some quiet thoughts and when it's time to cook, I'll be glad for the clean kitchen. Walking the dog gets me out of the house and into the fresh air. Studying Korean helps me deal with daily life.

Amazingly, just changing that word will often motivate me. It reminds me of the reasons I "should", reminds me that these are ultimately my free choice. So, next time you think you "should" do something and try to drag yourself toward it, just re-phrase that thought to "I want to!"