No matter where you are in life and business, your words matter more than you may think.
In this episode of The Mind Lab,I explore five words that can keep you stuck and hold you back from clarity, consistency, and powerful action.
Why Words Matter
Language doesn’t just communicate your thoughts—it shapes your life. Words reinforce, reveal habits, beliefs about yourself, and can move you forward or keep you stuck.
These five words are subtle, habitual, and everywhere. But once you spot them, you can change them—and unlock a stronger, clearer version of yourself.
5 Words That Hold You Back:
- Try
- Reveals hesitation and lack of decision/commitment
- Replace with “I will” or “I choose not to”
- Might
- Suggests indecision or avoidance
- Choose clear action or non-action and own it
- Always
- Rarely true and reinforces rigid, limited patterns
- “Is this really an absolute?”
- Never
- Absolutes create defensiveness and shutdown
- Focus on the specific pattern or issue without exaggeration
- But
- Incongruency before and after
- Replace with “and” to express both/and thinking and clarity and reconsider
Why This Works
- These words can reveal inaction, and internal dissonance
- They blur responsibility and stall decisions
- Consciously shifting your language shifts your mindset and invites better outcomes
Do This:
- Notice when you use these words in your daily life
- Pause and rephrase
- Share your intention to shift language with someone close to you for accountability
🎁 Want to go deeper? Download 5 Brain Hacks to Boost Energy and Beat Burnout – and learn how to align your thoughts, language, and energy.