Four Phrases to Drop From Your Repertoire

These are four phrases that sound like nails on a chalkboard to me. Four phrases that I don’t think anyone should be able to say; that I think you need to cut out of your vocabulary entirely.

  1. “I’m not good at/have never been able to…” This implies that you’re unable to learn a new skill, but when has that ever been true? Some people are born with a natural ability to do things, but there’s no one born without the capacity to take the time, put in the effort, and learn a new skill. I just finished a book called “Mindset” by Carol Dwek that had a lot to say about this – and I agreed. You either have a fixed or a growth mindset. If your mindset is set, you believe that who you are is carved in stone, and you cannot grow or learn. However, if you have a growth mindset, you think that you can grow and change through application and experience. I think it’s important for everyone to have a growth mindset; there’s nothing that you can’t realistically achieve if you have the desire to grow and learn.
  2. “I’m burnt out.” This is a personal pet peeve. Dave Ramsey put it best when he said, “You can’t burn out if you were never on fire.” It may be harsh, but you need to be on fire before you can talk to me about being burnt out. I think it’s just one of those things people use as an excuse when things get too difficult or tough for them – if you’re burnt out, you don’t have to deal with what’s going on.
  3. “I just don’t have enough time to…” I get it – time is not infinite and believe me, I think it’s one of the most important things we have that we can give to others. The thing is, I’ve never heard a successful person say this. Successful people find a way to make it happen. They constantly take inventory of their time, and that’s what I try to do. Whatever you’re doing at this moment (reading this blog) is a trade-off for something else you could be doing. Think about that every time you make a decision about how to spend your time. Scheduling an evening meeting means that I’m trading for time with my family, but it often means I am more connected to my team.Playing Candy Crush or tuning in to The Kardashians is a trade-off for reading a book and learning, putting in extra hours at work to finish a project you’ve been working on, or catching up with a good friend. Is that worth it?
  4. “That’s not in my job description/I don’t get paid to…” Not. All I’ll say about this phrase is this: I guarantee you that if you say that, your boss will find someone who can and will do it with a smile.