Nuggets for Nuggets – “Get To” Versus “Have To”—“Choices” Versus “Sacrifices”

I recently changed positions in the helicopter world, transitioning from management and training responsibilities to a fully operational role. 

In training and management, I had become accustomed to planned flights that occurred at reasonable hours. Returning to the operational role, I found myself increasingly resistant to the surprise “zero-dark-thirty” launch requiring an immediate response. 

I have to get up. 

I have to work through the night. 

I recognized that my mindset needed to shift from “have to” to “get to.” 

I get to exercise my craft. 

I get to serve someone who needs our help. 

A highly capable, well-maintained helicopter stood ready alongside a highly trained crew prepared to deliver care to someone in need. Together, we could respond safely and efficiently across a wide range of weather conditions—a combination of capabilities that would be difficult to match.

The launch was an opportunity to use our years of training and experience in service to another person. 

It was a privilege—not a chore. 

The launch did not become less demanding. I was still tired. The weather could still be challenging, and the task still required discipline and tactful decision-making. But the shift in perspective changed how I approached the night. 

The words we use—and the thoughts we repeatedly entertain—shape the way we experience our circumstances. 

The same principle applies to “sacrifices” and “choices.” 

Achieving excellence in any worthwhile craft requires hard work, discomfort, uncertainty, and tradeoffs. Time spent developing one part of your life is time that cannot be spent somewhere else. Those costs are real. So are the benefits. 

Continually viewing tradeoffs as sacrifices can cause us to focus primarily on the cost. Recognizing them as choices restores our sense of agency and reconnects us with their purpose. 

I did not have to prepare. 

I chose to prepare. 

I did not have to endure the discomfort. 

I chose a path that necessitated discomfort to achieve deeper fulfillment. 

I did not have to give up every competing opportunity. 

I chose the opportunities that best supported the person I wanted to become and the contribution I wanted to make. 

This does not mean every obligation is optional, or every choice is easy. It means that we should regularly connect difficult actions to the reasons we accept them and let those actions drive our feelings versus feelings driving our actions.

People who become exceptional at challenging and desirable pursuits do more than tolerate the hard work, discomfort, and uncertainty that come with them. They learn to embrace those elements as part of the process. 

If the path were easy, comfortable, and guaranteed, nearly everyone could follow it. Difficulty is not necessarily an indication that you are on the wrong path. Often, it is evidence that you are pursuing something challenging and worthwhile. It is part of what makes excellence possible. 

What do you get to do? 

What choices are you making today that will help you develop your craft, expand your capacity, and serve others at a higher level?