Ditch the ‘Shoulds’
What if you kept it simple and ditched the ‘shoulds’?
Last night, I went to a movie by myself. I’m only in the city for a couple of nights (I live at the lake in the summer), and it was a movie I really wanted to see. The simplest and easiest path was to just go by myself.
But then the ‘shoulds’ crept in.
"I should invite a friend because it would be good to connect with someone." "I’m only in town for a couple of days, so I should do some things at home." "I should spend time with my husband and find something we both want to do."
I almost skipped it.
Then I paused and asked myself—what do I really want? To see the movie! What’s the easiest way to do this? Just go to the movie by myself!
No coordinating schedules, no extra steps—just me, enjoying the movie I wanted to see. So that’s exactly what I did. I saved time, avoided hassle, and had an enjoyable night.
We often complicate things by doing what we think we 'should' do instead of what we genuinely want. Or we miss out on doing what we really want because we feel guilty that we aren’t doing what we think we 'should' be doing.
But when we keep it simple and ditch the 'shoulds', there’s usually a more straightforward and enjoyable path. Focusing on the true goal or task at hand also saves time and energy lost in indecision and unnecessary steps.
Next time you’re caught up in the 'shoulds' or overcomplicating things, ask yourself: What do I truly want? If I were keeping it simple, what would I do?
You might find just find things get a lot easier—and more enjoyable.
P.S. Not the best lighting in a movie theatre for a photo 😉.
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