The power of words isn't a new idea. Norman Vincent Peale burst onto the positive thinking scene long before it was a scene with his book The Power of Positive Thinking. Napoleon Hill was also there before Norm with his book Think and Grow Rich long before the The Secret recycled the idea of creating your future by using specific words and pictures.

We at Consilio believe that to build a strong business, the first step is to name your purpose so that you know which actions to take. And since the words that you hear in your own head and ears and speak with your own voice fuel your action, why not make sure they work for you?

"There is one big no-no word in my life: should?" I have found that it shifts me from empowered to guilty in a snap. It takes the wind out of my sails, any time, anywhere, over anything. Listen to it -- "I should get better at being on time." Or "I am committed to being on time." Productive and long-lasting behavior change will rarely come out of this. Instead what you'll see by continually using should is a self-loathing binge of some sort to help you lather more shame and guilt on yourself.

Ridding yourself of should will not be easy. It's taken me a couple years and watchful vigilance. The first few months I thought that I could substitute "need to", "have to" or "ought to" in the place of should and get away with it. My spry subconscious picked up on the subtlety and used it against me. I eventually figured out how to remove should by replacing it with committed words like I will and I am. Observe your physical reaction when you say it. Do you shoulders slump or eyes look down? Does your head tip forward or do you have a sinking feeling when you say it?

It boils down to this: Words that force power from the outside don't work in the end. The force they create is too great and will eventually create a push back. Rebellion ensues and when that happens, who knows where the uncontrolled rebound will take you. Most likely it will not be the intentional action you want.

So if you have a stuckification problem (you get stuck mentally), give it shot and remove should from the conversations that you have with yourself and others. Here's my guarantee: if you arduously work to remove should from your vocabulary, your movement toward your goals will be unstoppable. Words that fuel your soul from the inside out have exponential power.