Small hedges—"I'll try," "maybe later," "I don't have time"—slowly erode standards and create avoidable resentment. This episode teaches a tight, research‑informed three‑step Swap Framework: Notice the hedge, Rephrase into an ownership statement (three-word core plus a brief context), and Commit to one tiny, observable follow‑through. James opens with a short linguistic insight about how explicit choice language increases follow‑through, then demonstrates three tonal variants for work, family, and social requests. A 45‑second micro case follows: a listener replaces "I'll try to make time" with "I choose not to" for a weekly meeting and measured outcomes (30 minutes reclaimed weekly, 80% fewer reschedules). You get a 60‑second morning lock, a three‑day micro‑trial with measurable metrics (time saved, follow‑through rate, resentment score), and alternate phrasings for high‑context or vulnerable relationships. Clear, humane, and testable: pick one hedge, measure one metric, and iterate.