The English language is filled with tons of great words, but there are certain words that we should abandon in 2018 so that we can live a fuller, richer life. You will slip up on the road to being intentional about what you say, but it is important to start somewhere. Here are some phrases that we should all abandon this year.

1. LOL or JK After Something You Are Serious About

If you say something, own up to it.  I love letting people know when I am joking, but if I am not, there is no need to be put LOL or JK after what you say to soften the blow. Your friends will not like it when you say, “your cats are gross,” but if you believe that, own up to it. Do not say, “your cats are gross LOL” just to lighten the mood. That won't do any good for you or your friend. Your friend's cat is gross, let them know that.

If you don't truly believe it, then yes, add a LOL or a JK. On the other hand, if you do believe it, let the “your cat is gross,” comment hang in the air. Don't stifle its potential with a fake internet laugh. When you add a JK or an LOL the comment loses its original meaning. Your friend won't clean up after their gross cat because they thought you were joking. Now you still have to put up with a gross cat and your friend does not know their cat is gross. What good came from your original comment?

2. Does That Make Sense?

When you say, “does that make sense?” I begin to question whether or not what you said makes sense. Instead of asking if what you just said makes sense, own it. It obviously makes sense. You took your time to carefully explain what you had to say. If someone has a question, they can ask the question. Do not assume that people have a question.

You are a talented, intentional boss babe who makes sense all the time. Own that.

3. No, I'm Not ___

No, I'm not smart. No,  I'm not funny. No, I'm not gorgeous.

All these things have something in common. Someone told you something that you are, and you told them that you are the opposite of that.

Stop that.

If someone is giving you a compliment, take it. Be unapologetic about it. When someone tells you that you are smart, or funny, or pretty take the compliment (within reason of course, sometimes people who give compliments can be v. creepy.)

The more you take compliments, the more you will internalize those compliments. You will begin to think: Of course, I'm smart, pretty, and funny. This will be a great and welcome change from not thinking those things about yourself.

People don't just give out compliments like funnel cakes at a state fair. They are selective about the compliments they give. Don't assume they tell everyone that, assume you are the the best person they ever met!

4. I Can't Do ___

Yes, you can do it, you just don't know how to yet.

If someone gives you a task that they think you can handle. Attempt it.

Yes, it will be a long and bumpy road at first, but you will get the handle of the tasks you are given.

For example, I am a freelancer writer. I am often writing articles that I don't have a 100% understanding of. In fact, the other day someone asked me to write an article about omnichannel marketing. At first I said to myself, “Omnichannel marketing, who dat?” in a very Mindy Kaling from The Mindy Project and Gina Linetti from Brooklyn Nine-Nine-esque fashion.

I was excited to work for this client, though, so I took to my best friend Google and YouTube to watch videos and read articles to learn more about what omnichannel marketing was. At the end of this, I knew I wasn't an omnichannel marketing expert, but I also knew that I would be able to write a great introduction to ominichannel marketing.

You can do more than you know. You may not have that skill outright, but if you focus, research, and stop thinking about what you can't do, you will surprise yourself with what you can do.

5. I Think ___

Do you remember in school when you would say “I think ___” and a teacher would follow up with, “Do you think, or do you know?”

The same concept applies here with why you need to abandon this phrase in 2018.

You are confident, you are knowledgeable, your opinion is informed.

You should not have to qualify your thoughts with, “I think ___.”

Girl, you know!

6. I'm Sorry I ___

Don't be sorry. Do better.

Instead of being sorry, make better choices so you have less to be sorry about.

It's okay to be genuinely sorry when the moment is right. It's not cool to be a jerk.

But I know that, as women, we throw around the word sorry far too much.

• You got in someone's way on the sidewalk. Sorry.
• You interrupted someone who was speaking. Sorry.
• You don't have a pencil that someone else needs to borrow because they didn't bring their own. Sorry.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Yes, if you said a nasty thing to a friend when you were tired, say sorry. You also need to realize when you are saying sorry for unnecessary reasons. Take a page from Queen Bey's handbook:

7. I Wish I Could ___

The things that you wish you could do are often the things that you can do if you took the time to do them.

Instead of saying I wish I could, think about how you can plan and accomplish the things you wish you could do.

Do you wish you could take a trip? Think about how you can save money or take a trip with a friend so you can split the bill. Then put that plan into action.

Do you wish you could help someone with their homework? See what their homework is about before you say, “Sorry, I wish I could help!” You can probably rearrange your schedule, help them out, and get your work done later.

Do you wish you could start a blog? Instead of wishing, start the process of starting a blog. There are SO many resources out there, and I even have an entire blog dedicated to offering advice to aspiring and new bloggers!

Don't wish you could do anything, just do it.

8. I'm Not Sure But ___

If you are not sure, why are you offering advice?

Going to be harsh here for a second, but no one gets value from shaky advice.

Come back when you are sure about what you are saying!

Practice saying what you want to say instead of giving a qualifier to it.

Stand behind what you believe.

Stand behind what you know.

Conclusion

2018 is all about growth, y'all! Getting rid of these phrases will help you grow this year. Be confident, keep it classy, and shine brighter than the sun this year. When we are intentional about what we say, we all rise to bigger and better levels.

Which of these phrases are you abandoning in 2018?