Over the past few weeks, I’ve had some really honest conversations with people about guilt, how it creeps into our lives disguised as “shoulds”.

We *should* be working 9 to 5.
We *should* be sitting at a desk in a room with four walls to do admin.
We *should* be doing things the way everyone else does. 

Well, I have some other ideas!

Part of the reason many of us set up our own businesses was to create freedom. To make choices. To do what’s right for *us* and for our clients, not to do what everyone else said we “should” do.

The word *should* is heavy. It’s judgmental. It carries the weight of expectation and comparison. It tells us we’re not enough unless we follow a script written by someone else. 

Now imagine replacing *should* with *could*.
“I could work from the garden today.”
“I could take a break and come back refreshed.”
“I could choose what’s best for me and my business.” 

*Could* opens up possibility. It invites choice. It’s empowering. 

So just try it at least once today.
Swap *should* for *could*.
Feel how liberating that is.
Notice how your mindset shifts from obligation to opportunity. 

Let’s stop “should-ing” ourselves.
Let’s start choosing what truly works for us.

I’d love to hear from you! What *could* you do today instead of what you *should* do?
Do it for a day and let me know, did it change your energy, your focus, your mood?