How changing one word can change the way the you think

In Dan Pink's: Whole new mind, there's one small exercise I just fell in love. It asks to change the word "but" to word "and". I've heard same advice in negotiation skills rehearsals, but this is different. This advice is actually referring to your personal problem solving mode.

For example I used to think that I'd like to excersice more, but my kids are so little that I don't have time for it. Then I changed it to "I'd like to exercise more and my kids are so little that I don't have time for it". This got me thinking right away that I could go exericising after kids go to sleep.

Okay, maybe that seems obvious, but this has really changed the way I think for things I'd like to do or have. I've really stopped finding excuses for not doing something, but actually I've started to be more creative on problem solving.

Just try it. It might sound easy, but I bet it you'll find yourself couple of times, but I can't, but I don't have time, but I don't have money etc.. It's not that easy, but it rewarding, I promise.  

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen