HOW DITCHING "I SHOULD" COULD BRING YOU JOY

Have a think about how life is for you right now. What takes up your time? Your days? Your energy? What do you want to do more of? Less of?

If you find your list is full of things you 'should', 'must' or 'have to' do then pause a moment. What do we mean? Well, if you hear yourself saying things would be better 'If only I had more time, a tidier house, a kinder boss...' or 'I should eat healthier but I'm too busy, too tired...' then you are being reactive - letting the world control you, rather than you being in charge of your time and energy.

The 'Let Go of I should' artwork is a reminder to choose how you respond to what's going on in your life. If you expend your energy on things outside your control, your energy flows away from you. That's being reactive. You become exhausted, anxious and overwhelmed. You are at the whim and mercy of the world and everyone in it. You have to do things, you must, you should.

But when you act from what Stephen Covey calls the Circle of Influence, your energy is positive. Instead of being reactive, you turn your energy towards yourself and you become proactive. You are the one making the decisions, you chose what you will and won't do. Things might still be challenging, but you find the things which you can control, rather than focusing on what you can't.

By letting go of what you cannot control and start focusing on the things you can, your vocabulary changes too. You don't HAVE to eat healthier, you WANT to eat healthier. Your boss might not get any kinder, but you can be kinder to your co-workers. Instead of telling yourself you ought to exercise today, you choose to go for a walk. It's swapping obligation (negative energy) with choice (positive energy).

This lovely little artwork has bright colours, and energetic splashes of gold. It reminds you that your life is precious, that your energy is finite. Use it on the things that matter to you, expend your energy positively and take responsibility for your life. Covey notes that people who are proactive report higher levels of happiness, well-being and success than those who remain in a reactive mindset.