As the new year is upon us, I continue to hear people setting new resolutions. Change is afoot and hope is palpable. It’s a great time of year.
On the flip side, I’ve started to hear that dreaded word Should in conversation.
“I should have gone to the gym”
“I should go to that yoga class”
“I should write a blog article”
“I should really write my marketing plan”
Have you said any of the above? This year? Ever?
I’m pretty sure you have.
How about this for a new year’s resolution?
Stop saying Should. Remove it from your internal dictionary.
Should is a form of the verb ‘shall’….however these days, it is used to express a duty and a necessity. When people feel obliged to do something, it doesn’t have a natural flow. There is something not quite right with it.
My lesson to you for 2011
If you don’t want to do something, don’t say you’ll do. If you don’t want to go to the gym, then don’t. Find an alternative way to get some exercise. If you don’t want to write a blog article, don’t. Get someone to write it for you or follow another marketing method.
If something doesn’t sit well with you, you’re not going to do it. Or if you do it, then it’s going to be a challenge. Saying a sentence that starts with ‘I should‘, immediately creates a negative sense. You feel guilty for not doing the task, you feel disappointed in yourself, you feel that you’ve let someone down. All these feelings can be dissipated if you decide not to use the word should.
Should from now is a deleted word in your vocab. You’ll feel an awful lot better for it. Believe me. I was a slave to should for many years. Still am – I’m a recovering should-er!
Happy New Year
2011 is full of opportunities for your business and for yourself. Just believe in them and go with what feels right, not what you should do.
