Get All Access for $5/mo

To Improve a Situation Immediately Stop Exaggerating How Bad It Is Sometimes the best option still sucks. Telling yourself you're the victim of circumstances makes it worse.

By Sarah Vermunt Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Like your mother said, watch your language!

What you say about your business and career choices matters. This includes your internal dialog.

I have a client who is choosing to stay at her government job for an another year while she saves up some extra cash to fund her business. Security is important to her, so building a big financial cushion before she starts makes her feel safer. The thought of jumping without a safety net gives her hives, so she crafted a plan that feels good. Slow and steady.

She told me about her freedom plan and then she said, "I guess I'll just have to suck it up for a year."

Related: 5 Ways to Rekindle Your Optimism After You Crash and Burn

"Now hold it right there, lady," I said. "You just came up with an awesome plan to build a business in a way that feels good to you. Does it really feel like you're sucking it up?"

"No", she said. "But you know what I mean."

The language she used to describe her decision to keep her job for the next year took the wind right out of her sails, so we worked on a reframe. She came up with the following: "I'm choosing to stay in my job for another year so I can fund The Dream."

Ahhh. Doesn't that sound better than sucking it up?

Sucking it up feels crappy. It makes you feel powerless, victimized, defeated. Choosing something, and really owning it, comes from a much more empowered place. Small shift, big difference.

Related: Entrepreneurs: Your Irrational Optimism Is Necessary

Own the choices you make around how you build your business. Claim them. Stand in them. Using defeated language will only make you feel…you guessed it…defeated.

Now, language alone isn't going to cut it if you're lying to yourself.

If your job crushes your soul and you have no exit plan, all the flowery language in the world isn't going to make you feel good about it. It will probably make you feel worse. Lying to yourself always feels bad. That's why some people have trouble with affirmations. For many, they feel like empty words projecting fake optimism.

Can't find any authentic positive language to frame your career choices? Then your problem isn't your language, my friend; it's your choices. And there's only one solution for that: stop making career choices that feel bad.

Related: This Mind Trick Works Way Better Than Delusional Optimism

Sarah Vermunt

Careergasm Founder

Sarah Vermunt is the founder of Careergasm. As a career coach, she helps people quit jobs they hate so they can do work they love.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

Retirees Are Raking in Billions With These 4 Side Hustles: 'There's No Age Limit to Innovation'

Most Americans plan to work part-time in retirement — and the opportunities are endless.

Devices

Answer Work Calls More Safely While Driving With This Easy-to-Install Infotainment System

Connect your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to your car.

Business News

Big Wall Street Banks Are Limiting Workweek Hours — to 80

Junior bankers are reporting 100-plus hour workweeks. Now, Wall Street's overwork culture is back under scrutiny.

Business News

Amazon Asks Employees to Use Its New, Internal Chatbot That's 'Safer Than ChatGPT'

Amazon has reportedly introduced an internal chatbot named Cedric.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Leadership

Are You Struggling With Any of These Remote Work Challenges? Here's How You Can Conquer Each One.

Here are eight remote work challenges and my tips for overcoming them.