Is Your Self-Talk Holding You Back?
When it comes to reaching our goals, one of the most powerful tools we have is also one of the most overlooked: our words. The way we speak to ourselves and about ourselves plays a huge role in how we approach challenges, make decisions, and ultimately, achieve success. In this blog, I’m going to dive into a specific type of self-talk that can quietly sabotage your progress: soft talk.
What Is Soft Talk?
Soft talk refers to language that leaves room for uncertainty, hesitation, and indecision. These are the words and phrases that make us feel stuck or overwhelmed without us even realizing it. They dilute our confidence and make it harder to take decisive action.
Think about it: how often have you said something like, “I’ll try to eat better this week” or “Maybe I’ll start back at the gym this week”? These phrases sound harmless, but they’re actually loaded with doubt. Instead of committing to an action, soft talk gives you an easy out. And you don’t even realize you're priming yourself for failure.
How Soft Talk Affects Your Progress
Using soft talk can:
- Create feelings of indecision or uncertainty.
- Make it harder to set clear goals.
- Undermine your confidence.
- Keep you stuck in a cycle of planning without acting.
The words you use shape your emotions, and your emotions shape your actions. If your language is full of hesitation, your actions will likely reflect that hesitation. But when you replace soft talk with stronger, more decisive language, you empower yourself to move forward with clarity and purpose.
How do these statements make you feel compared to the ones I gave you earlier?
“I’ll try eat better this week”
“Maybe I’ll start back at the gym this week”
Which statements do you think will result in more empowered emotions and real action?
And all we did was remove one sneaky word.
Common Soft Talk Words
Before we go further, here’s a list of common soft talk words to look out for in your daily language:
- Try
- Maybe
- Sort of
- Kind of
- Hopefully
- I think
- I guess
- Possibly
- Hopefully
- One day
- Feels like
Recognize any of these? They pop up in everyday conversations, texts, and even in our inner dialogue. The good news is that once you identify them, you can start replacing them with more solid, empowering language.
In fact…all you have to do is remove them!
How to Shift From Soft Talk to Solid Action
Here’s a simple framework to start eliminating soft talk from your vocabulary:
- Identify Your Soft Talk Patterns: Begin by paying attention to how often you use words like “try” or “maybe.” Notice how they make you feel and how they influence your actions.
- Translation: Simply Remove the Soft Talk Words: That’s it, remove them and make note of how different your statements feel.
- Start With Text: It can be easier to catch soft talk in written communication. Review your texts, emails, and social media posts for soft talk words and practice rephrasing them.
- Post a Reminder: Write down the list of soft talk words and place it somewhere visible. Use it as a daily reminder to choose stronger, more decisive language.
- Reflect on the Impact: As you practice replacing soft talk, notice how it changes your mindset and actions. Do you feel more confident? Are you more consistent in following through on your goals?
The Power of Language in Your Journey
Your inner dialogue isn’t just background noise—it’s the script you’re following every day. By swapping soft talk for solid talk, you’re taking control of that script and setting yourself up for success. Decisive language leads to decisive action, and decisive action leads to results.
Plus it freaking feels good.
If this idea resonates with you, I encourage you to explore how much more you can achieve when you start speaking to yourself with purpose and confidence. This is just one of the mindset shifts we dive into in my 9-week Well Fed Way Nutrition Transformation Program. Through mindset trainings like this, you’ll learn to align your inner dialogue with your goals and take meaningful steps toward a healthier, more empowered you.
Ready to rewrite your story and take solid action? Let’s do this together!
Coach Ashleigh🦈
