Stop “Shoulding” Yourself

“I don’t live in a land of Instagram versus Reality.” - Jenn Bays   The “should’s” of life will kill your business faster than almost anything else. They kill relationships, they kill creative thought, they kill all the good things that you are building with your work in the world. So stop shoulding yourself and start giving yourself grace!   This episode is a tad different than anything I’ve done before. I’ve had a message on my heart to share and it’s been important in my life and my business, so I think it’s time.    I have allowed the should’s in my life to affect my business growth and my overall happiness for too long. In fact, it wasn’t until my therapist pointed some of them out that I realized I was crippling myself out of the fear of expectation.    What does that mean? Here’s a fantastic example. My son Davie goes to a private Montessori school that he absolutely loves. They also have after school care that he also REALLY enjoys. But in my haste to be the “best” mom, I thought I needed to pick him up right after school was done.    It didn’t matter that he liked staying after and it didn’t matter if I had more work to do and that doing it with him around would stress me out. I needed to be THAT mom. Then someone asked me why? Why did I need to get him even though it was better for both of us that he stay a little longer?    This same concept applies to cooking, cleaning, building your business at a pace that isn’t sustainable to you or your family. It applies to everything in life.    Stop shoulding yourself and allow the ebbs and flows to move you! Your life isn’t anything like the next person’s, and you don’t need it to be. In This Episode: [00:44] Hey, friends, thanks for joining me today! [02:31] We need to stop shoulding ourselves! [05:12] My therapist asked me who I am and all I could come up with is the roles I play in my life. [07:10] I hate my body the way it looks now, but it came to a point where I realized that I needed to be thankful for what my body has given me. [09:11] Allowing my son to stay in aftercare was a hard decision for me to make because I felt like I should pick him up early because I work from home. [14:15] I know this episode is different, but I think these topics are very important to everybody. [16:52] Whatever you are doing or fighting against doing because you want to please other people, stop! [19:57] I always try to be as honest and upfront with my audience as I can. I want you all to know that I am human and I make mistakes. [21:59] Have a great week!   Links and Resources Find Jenn: Success Beyond The Lens @successbeyondthelens Instagram  @successbeyondthelenspodcast Facebook | Picbabun   Grab your Boundaries Resources Editable Welcome Packet Template Pinterest Freebies   Join the Become a Virtual Assistant for Photographers!