When I say the word “Just”, what comes to mind?
I bet many of you think of Nike’s slogan “Just do it”.
Does it make you want to do something or does it put you off? I find it works for some people and triggers others. I think it works well for people that already have the habit of doing something regularly and need a reminder to get over the resistance they are facing. For others, they say things like if it were that easy I would have done it already and it’s hard to get started.
How about using the word just in a different way. I’m “just” going to work on my taxes for 15 mins or I’m “just” going to declutter my office for 10 mins. How does that sound? I find it sounds much better than I’m going to work on my taxes or I’m going to declutter my office. Somehow the word “just” and a limited time frame suddenly makes it sound more doable.
Once I get started for 10 or 15 mins, I get into it and often find myself working longer. There’s no pressure to continue and I can be happy stopping at the time stated too.
So I invite you to play around with the word “just” today and see how you come along with it. Does it make things easier for you?