Last year Ellen Petry, a former Google and Apple exec, offered up some worthwhile advice to women in business:
Stop saying “just.”
It wasn’t something I’d considered before, but was very much a user of. If you looked through my Sent email box at my then full-time job, you could practically see a never-ending breadcrumb trail of:
Just wanted to know…
Just wondering if…
Just to remind you…
Here’s why you should remove just from your vocabulary:
As I read Petry’s post, I began to realize how much this word had unknowingly permeated my workplace vocabulary.
Petry writes:
I am all about respectful communication. Yet I began to notice that just wasn’t about being polite: It was a subtle message of subordination, of deference. Sometimes it was self-effacing. Sometimes even duplicitous. As I started really listening, I realized that striking it from a phrase almost always clarified and strengthened the message.
It was strange for me to realize exactly how habitual using the word “just” had become.
For a few weeks afterwards, I was diligent in my communication.
Every time a “just” slipped in there, I removed it. There were a few instances where I was uncomfortable with how staunch or severe my sentence looked without the padding of a “just” in there. Looking back, that feeling was what told me I was on the right track.
I’m now closing in on around six months “just” free. I’ve noticed that everything I write, from emails to blog posts to things in-between, have a firmer voice of authority. I like it that way.
Obviously I’m not here to police the things you say, or the words you choose to say them with. This is something that, after thinking about it, I realized I wanted to change for myself.
I also need to stop apologizing so much, but as a Canadian, I don’t think it’s realistic. Sorry bout it.
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I never thought about it before so I stopped to review some of my writings. I use it alot also. I am going to be more conscious of this in the future. Thank you so much for sharing
LOL! Just-Free LOL!
I don’t use it that often, but now I’m definitely more mindful.
OMG this is so true! I totally use the word just so that my emails don’t seem too imposing or demanding of people. Thank you for sharing!
Yes! So glad it resonated with you; thanks for commenting 🙂
This post made me laugh. I use just ALL of the time!!! It would be a hard habit for me to break. But I think it’s worth trying…. Thank you for this! 🙂
I do too! It’s definitely a weird habit haha.
I just love it! I love that I can probably just stop doing it immediately (after this comment).
thanks, Gloria
Haha! Happy to hear that Gloria, thanks for commenting 🙂
Came across this on Pinterest and I never thought about it that way, but you’re right. I use “just” all. the. time. I read this two days ago and already I’ve been cutting it right and left. Thanks!
Thanks for commenting Peninah! It’s super weird – I didn’t realize how much I was using it either, but it’s totally made a different since I started cutting it out of my vocab.
Wow, what a revelation. Taking it out of my vocabulary from this day forward.
It is funny how one one word can have an effect on how something we write or say can be interpreted….your article is “just” right….lol…..I have been monitoring myself and fortunately it is not a word used in my vocabulary much at all.
Another thing we need to be aware of ….especially if we are trying to sell an item an idea or simply ourselves to someone….. is to eliminate saying things such as “I’ll get that done for you no worries” or “it will work like new no problems”. The last word the person hears is “worries” or “problems” and psychologically that is what they absorb….and as such less convinced by what you say…..it’s better to say “I’ll get that done for you….it will be a breeze” or “it will work like new easily”
It’s important to always speak or write in the positive….our audience feels better for it….and so do we….I was a salesman and I had so much better results once I mastered how I delivered my pitch positively
I never thought of that before. When I am trying to reassure someone I say “no problem” or “no worries”, in order to give them confidence in me and in what I can do. I can do that just as easily by saying something in an affirmative way with self-confidence. Thanks a lot for the insight on this, Scott.
And I looked at this paragraph that I wrote and saw that I used the word “just” without thinking… LOL.
I totally say “no worries” too! I like that one though haha.
That’s so interesting, Scott, I never thought about it that way! I definitely say “no worries” often – usually as a response to someone saying “thank you.” Super good food for thought, thanks so much for commenting 🙂
This does seem strange about thinking about someone who always uses the word just, probably because I don’t . I try staying away from bad habits and if I find myself doing so , members of my family will surely say something lol
@tisonlyme143
I read the same article a while back and decided to ban the word “just” as much as possible. Even though I have to admit that it’s slowly sneaking back in. Thanks for the gentle reminder to keep my fences up and ban this tiny word all together 🙂
Starting my Just detox today! As an Asian, yeah, we also apologize way more than we should.
I am definitely guilty of this! I am getting better in my writing, but speaking I still use it all the time.
I have a serious problem with this word! I joined the thread just to comment on this post! haha I once did this thing that made a word collage of your most used words on FB for the year. JUST was big and dead center. That was a huge wake up call!
Wow what a great way to look at it. I find myself using it more that necessary as well. Will fix that!
This is great, I’m going to be more mindful of how much I actually use ‘just’ in a sentence. I think it will be quite surprising!
Interesting read! Looks like I need to work on saying the word just less.
xoxo, Jenny
This is one of those words I always ctrl+f when I’m editing fictions, along with useless adverbs like ‘really,’ ‘actually,’ ‘definitely’… I’m not going to cut ‘just’ out of my vocabulary, but I’m aware I use it as a crutch sometimes and I do support women realizing the subtle ways we make ourselves small to fit the places we’ve been given.
I find myself rarely using the word ‘just’ in actual speech but writing it often – especially in the rough drafts of my young adult novels. It’s funny how it seems to come out in writing so much more. – Katy
Gee, Thanks for this post. After I saw a video of me on a radio I noticed I way to many “just” in my speaking. The horror! I’m fixing that immediately. Thank you!