Actually? It’s doing you a favour.

Actually?
It’s not a filler word.
It’s a parachute for the three seconds your brain needed to think.

I lean on it more than I’d like to admit. I once rewatched a recording of my own training session and lost count before the ten-minute mark.

Here’s what nobody tells you about “actually.” It’s not sloppy. It’s stalling with style, buying you the half-second you actually needed. Professionals use it constantly, without anyone blinking.

Quick win: Next time “actually” slips out, let it stay. It bought you a second. That’s its whole job.

(Oh, there are more than three “actuallys” in this Spark. I did not plan that. Actually, I might have.)