Just can be a dangerous word. You say to yourself, I’m just going to peek at Facebook and then I’ll tackle this item on my list – and suddenly it’s an hour later. Or, feeling misunderstood, you exclaim, I was just trying to – and then you wonder why the conversation escalates into argument. In both cases, the emphasis is on justifying rather than being honest. Try this: The next time you hear yourself saying aloud or in your head, I’m just going to, stop and make a direct decision: I need a break, I’m going to tune out with Facebook – or – I’m going to spend 10 minutes on this hard thing and then check back about Facebook. The next time you righteously burst out with, I was just... stop and craft a non-defensive statement such as, I’m not sure you understood me. I’d like to try again and see how we can be on the same page about this. You’ll be clearer and more powerful with less “just”-ing!