Last year I removed the word "BUT" from my personal dictionary.

This fall I'm getting rid of the word SHOULD.

It's a family guilt word that has been passed on from generation to generation. I remember having a conversation with my uncle in which he said "Ah, should, that's the Chaddock motto."

Using the word "should" implies that you know better. "When you complete that project you SHOULD do it this way." Using "should" hems in your team members with rules and regulations that restrict their ability to be creative.

Using "should" when setting off in a given direction for your business can keep you from trying something knew. "I'd like to update my website but I SHOULD be..." Not only does it keep you from adventure it makes what you SHOULD do sound less than appealing.

How about replacing the word SHOULD with the word COULD?

COULD opens up the possibility for creative thinking. COULD offers alternatives. COULD removes guilt and replaces it with adventure.

I'm replacing SHOULD in my vocabulary. What word can you do without?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer