Stop should-ing

The language you use is powerful.

It is a window into the way you see your world.

One particular word that I hear all the time is “should.”

“I should work out more.”

“I should leave my job.”

“I should break a bad habit.”

Some of the shoulds are engrained since childhood. They come from cultural and familial norms.

When you use “should” in this context, you are really saying “Someone else thinks I need to live my life this way, so I guess I should.”

Some of the shoulds come from the way you picture your future self.

The problem with using “should” in this context is, it is a signal that you aren’t that invested in the future you imagine for yourself. You aren’t bought in yet, and you aren’t motivated or inspired enough to take action.

Stop using should and start standing in possibility.

When you imagine what could be, and switch your language from “should” to “could,” there is an invitation for you to step into that possibility and move forward in decisive action.

There is no sense of expectation attached to your motivation.

Instead, the motivating force is delight, wonder, and excitement.

That will propel you into the action you want to take.

Where are you using “should,” and how can you turn it into “Look what could be!”?

Love,

Audrey