We all have things we just don’t like doing.

For some, this may be a meeting we have to go to, conversations we have to have, a place we just have to frequent…

Whatever it may be, these events and places we go cause us to think about our work or our lives in a certain way.

So instead of thinking things like, “I have to go in that place today,” we eventually turn it into, “I don’t want to go out today.”

Or, instead of thinking, “I don’t want to have that conversation today,” we turn it into, “I don’t want to go to work today.”

Our frame of mind determines our attitude.

So the thoughts and feelings we dwell on determine, not just our attitude about that particular thing, but our attitude for multiple things.

Here are a few suggestions to turn your “have to” into “want to.”

Set the tone

Before you leave the house or before you even get out of bed, spend time with God, pray, or even listen to music. Whatever can get you started on the right foot for the day. A good start goes a long way to having a good day.

Talk to yourself

Yes, it’s totally okay… we all do it anyway. Talk yourself into liking those exhausting actions you just have to do. If you can’t talk yourself into liking them, at least convince yourself that they’re not the central part of your day and that good things will happen before and after.

Narrow your focus

Like a sniper rifle, be laser focused on your blessings and your opportunities. Think about them regularly. Thank God for them hourly. Find scriptures to memorize taht you can recite. Even the act of trying to memorize scripture helps us recall it and refocus our lives.

Don’t look forward

It’s really easy to look forward to the evening or the weekend to try to cope with what you really don’t want to do. It may work at times, but don’t fall into that habit. Be in the moment. I find that when I’m in the moment my natural blessed outlook takes over and I give all I have in the moment. It usually makes it go by faster and I leave thinking, “That wasn’t so bad.”

Now, I know that the suggestions and just the idea behind this post may come across a little too ideal. At times it is, but these ideas actually help. They can turn your attitude of, “I have to,” into, “I want to,” or at least, “I can!”

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