This week, I wanted to dive into the narrative we speak to ourselves and the language we use with the world around us. So often, we say we’re SO busy.
Quick Summary: A Women Empowerment Coach’s Take on the Word “Busy”
Too busy to make a phone call. Too busy to catch up with a friend. Too busy to stop and truly connect. As a women’s empowerment coach, I see how quietly “busy” becomes an identity, not just a description of a full week.
Why I’m Retiring the Word “Busy”
Our lives become a blur of places to go, people to juggle, things to do. But lately, I’ve started to question that word. What does it actually mean? What is it costing me? As a women’s empowerment coach, this is the exact kind of question I ask clients before we touch a single habit.
Six months into this experiment, I’ve become hyperaware of how language shapes my energy. Saying “I’m busy” feels like dragging bricks behind me. It’s heavy, chaotic, hard. It puts me in constant reaction mode. So I made a decision: I’m removing “busy” from my vocabulary, and bringing in something softer, more intentional.
Old Word vs. New Word
We live in a world fuelled by masculine energy, doing, striving, achieving. What if we could still get things done, just with a different frequency, more softness, more presence, more joy? It’s not about doing less; it’s about doing things differently, which is exactly the shift a women’s empowerment coach helps clients make.
Reframing Discipline, Work, and Devotion
I noticed myself using the word “discipline.” It serves a purpose, but it carries a hard edge, more like a force, something I have to do. So I’m reframing it, from discipline to devotion, from rigid to rhythmic, the exact language shift a women’s empowerment coach would encourage. I don’t want to be disciplined about my habits anymore; I want to be devoted to the woman I’m becoming.
I’ve also started rethinking the word “work.” “I have to work” sounds like a burden. “I’m going to play” brings lightness. Removing the hardness, the have-to mindset, is a small shift with a big effect.
Words Shape the Energy You Bring
Words shape our reality, how we feel about ourselves, and how we treat the people around us. We are not our job titles, our to-do lists, or our stress. We’re the energy we bring into every room, created by the stories we tell.
If you constantly tell yourself you’re tired, overwhelmed, not enough, that becomes your truth. Flipping the script, saying “I’m showing up” or “I am worth it,” shifts your state and creates a new story- the same identity-level work I explore with women inside Reclaim Her.
What we say about others often reflects what we believe about ourselves. People who speak harshly to others often have a loud inner critic running the show. As a women’s empowerment coach, I see this constantly: the words we aim outward are rarely far from the words we use on ourselves. So I’m watching my words more closely now, feeling the energy behind them, the same consistency I hold myself to each week inside Promise Kept.
Conclusion
This week, I’m choosing to return to fun, ease, and flow. I want to feel like I’m back in the playground, solving problems with creativity, laughing for no reason. Yes, I have responsibilities, but I don’t have to lose the magic.
So my words change: busy becomes productive, work becomes play, discipline becomes devotion. If you’re ready for the same kind of women’s empowerment coach support in changing your own language, you can learn more about Transformational Coaching, or read about working together on my Work With Me. Because words matter, and I want mine to change my presence in the world.
FAQ’s
Why does the word “busy” matter so much?
Because language shapes energy. A women’s empowerment coach would say repeating “busy” reinforces a chaotic, reactive state, even when the underlying schedule doesn’t actually change.
What’s the difference between discipline and devotion?
Discipline often carries a sense of force or obligation, while devotion feels chosen and sustainable, gentler but just as consistent.
Can changing how I talk about work really make it feel lighter?
Yes. Reframing “I have to work” as “I get to create” or “I’m going to play” shifts the emotional weight attached to the same task.
Why does a women’s empowerment coach focus on word choice?
Because self-talk becomes self-belief over time. Small linguistic shifts compound into a genuinely different internal story.
How do I start changing my own language patterns?
Notice one repeated word that feels heavy, like “busy” or “have to,” and consciously swap it for a softer, more intentional alternative.