get the word "like" (like, where it isn't necessary) out of my speech habits!

How I did it: This is such a small thing but can be a great stepping stone toward improving yourself. I made the decision to remove all useless ums, ahs, ers, likes, and other similar noises from my day to day speech. I did this as part of a general self improvement effort.

I did it by making a conscious effort to think about what I'm going to say rather than just making it up on the fly and using space filler words to give me time to think up the rest of a sentence (which lets face it, is all it's doing).

It's not the easiest thing to do because it requires a significant change of habit, but it's extremely beneficial in terms of the often unexpected mental improvement. I found that not only in my case, but in the case of other people too, this particular change in speech pattern improved cognitive ability, and mental reaction time/alertness. It's a great brain workout to have to really think about what you're going to say instead of just puking out words with occasional chunks of meaning.

The more you do it, the quicker you get, until eventually you can respond with whatever wording you choose.

Lessons & tips: Stop to think before you speak.

Form your sentences in your head before you say them, if necessary.

When asked a question, resist the urge to immediately respond with "um", or to delay the beginning of a response by using "like".

Jan 30, 04:15PM PST | 0 comments | 2 cheers