The words you use affect how you feel. We round
up the five most life-limiting expressions to ditch from your dictionary today
Ditch It ‘Later’
Why? We tell
ourselves that we’ll do something later when we either don’t want to do it at
all or we’re too overwhelmed by the thought of it. It’s unproductive and makes
us feel bad for procrastinating.
We
tell ourselves that we’ll do something later when we either don’t want to do it
at all or we’re too overwhelmed by the thought of it
Instead: Get
the most dreaded task on your to-do list over with immediately or sit down now
and plan what you need to do in order to tick it off. You’re never going to
conveniently find yourself with two free hours to clear out your wardrobe and
finally take those bootcut jeans to the charity shop, but recognizing that it
needs decent diary space is far more practical than simply muttering ‘later’.
Ditch It ‘Should’
Why? ‘Should’
is such a loaded world. You are telling yourself: ‘If I was good/ organized/
fun/ caring (select as appropriate), I would do this,’ which makes you feel
guilty.
Should’
is such a loaded world
Instead:
Whenever you want to say ‘should’, swap it for the far more positive ‘will’, as
in: ‘Will this benefit me and the people I care about?’ It’s an instantly less
emotional question, so you can decide if you ‘should’ do it or not, but without
the guilt.
Ditch It ‘Naughty’
Why? Using
this word in relation to food can damage your self-esteem. Food is fuel, not an
enemy, friend or emotional prop. If your body says, ‘I fancy a cake,’ and you
are hungry, have cake!
Instead:
Think about it – do you want cake every time you feel down, stressed or angry?
If so, recognize that you’re filling an emotional space with an edible
substitute and deal with that, rather than masking it.
Ditch It ‘Can’t’
Why? The
word ‘can’t’ tells your brain you’re incapable of doing something successfully,
so, even if you have a go, your mindset wills you to fail because you’ve
programmed yourself to do so. Eliminating ‘can’t’ makes it easier to take
risks, so, even if things don’t work out exactly as you’d hoped, you tried –
and that gives you confidence to try other things. It also forges resilience
which helps you feel safe and happy.
Instead:
Decide if it’s really a case of you physically being unable to do it or just a
nifty way to excuse yourself from something you don’t fancy. When you say you
‘can’t’ run a half-marathon, Ok you can’t do it right now without any training,
but are you really physically incapable of putting in the hours or do you just
not want to?
Ditch It ‘Wish’
Why? Hoping
that you can magically transform into your ideal self – one who is slimmer, or
has the perfect career – is a fairy tale.
Instead:
Rather than ‘wishing’, set yourself some goals to get fitter or find a new
role. Applying a more targeted approach to your aspirations means you can start
to achieve them. Every time you ‘wish’, remember you can make that dream a
reality by becoming an active participant in your life, rather than a
bewildered bystander.
