Becoming a successful entrepreneur is as much of a mental game, as it is one of finesse and expertise.
You can be the most intelligent, talented, and
respected person within your industry, but if you
don’t believe in yourself and continue to be
brutally honest as you move through the extremely
difficult stages of growing a business, your failure
is all but inevitable.
Everything from the way you feel about getting up
to head into the office each morning, to the quality
of relationships with your business partners, and
the words you use on a daily basis, will have a long
term effect on whether or not you’ll become
successful.
Whether you intend to or not, if you allow yourself
to use words and phrases that convey doubt,
insecurity, and a lack of true belief in what you’re
saying, you’ll eventually lose faith.
Not only does this effect your own mental well-
being, but the people you’re communicating with
will read into your word choice and pick up on
your sentiment & body language.
Here are the seven words you’ll need to eliminate
from your vocabulary if you want to be successful.
1. “Might”
This one is my all-time least favorite word.
Anytime I catch myself using it in conversation, I force myself to first think about why I would be unsure about what I’m promising or expounding
about—especially in a business situation. “Might”
is most commonly used to highlight something that
may be a possibility. In business, you need to be very sure of yourself and the decisions you’re making. If you’re not, others will pick up on your insecurity and have a difficult time believing in
you.
Not to mention how often this word is misused and out of context.
2. “Usually”
In a business context, “usually” is another word that expresses doubt about a situation or set of circumstances. Its lack of definitive nature tells the
person you’re conversing with, that they shouldn’t
confidently believe in an outcome that happens
only most of the time.
3. “Should”
Similar to “might” and “usually,” the word, “should” also conveys a general lack of confidence and
certainty in the result you’re really just hoping for, rather than taking the necessary time and
preparations to make sure you execute flawlessly.
4. “Won’t”
Using this word is one of the quickest ways to put someone on the defensive. Instead of using a less personal word to decline participation in an
activity, the word, “won’t” has an air of stubborn
rejection to it.
5. “Likely”
If you’re using the word, “likely” in a business
setting, you’re really doing nothing more than
making a prediction. Not only are you clearly not confident in the results or outcome you’re talking
about, but you’re making clear your lack of
personal knowledge on the matter.
6. “If Only”
Nothing says that you’re living in a dream world
more than talking about business situations with the ever-hopeful, “if only.” Here, you’re actively
stating that you don ‘ t have control over what ‘ s happening, and it gives the impression that you’re
just grasping at the hope of some sort of divine
intervention.
Quit dreaming of the things you could do with all
the resources in the world, and instead, focus on
making your dream come true with the tools you do have.
7. “Really”
In a business sense, the word “really” is a very
casual expression that attempts to place extra
emphasis and importance on a particular outcome,
without really quantifying what exactly that extra
emphasis is. The word rarely adds any real value to
your conversations.
Which words are you using today, that may be
holding you back from achieving your goals?