463: What If Your Only New Year Goal Was to Let Go of the Shoulds?

3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms

Cloud10

Kids & Family, Society & Culture, How To, Personal Journals, Education, Parenting

5 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2026

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I recently sat down to reflect on 2025, and I was honestly shocked by how much lighter my life feels now compared to just a few years ago. I'm not talking about having less to do. I'm talking about releasing the weight of expectations that never fit me in the first place. The guilt over my son's screen time, the pressure to have my spiritual life look a certain way, the belief that I had to maximize my income at all costs. When I started letting those shoulds go, something beautiful happened—I made room for so much more joy. In this episode, I'm sharing specific examples of how I decluttered my motherhood in 2025 and what shifted when I gave myself permission to stop performing and start living. You'll also hear the first lesson from my Motherhood Decluttered audio course, which walks you through the process I used to create this kind of lightness and freedom in my own life. In this episode, you'll learn: ✨ The exact shoulds I released in 2025 (and the joy I found when I let them go) ✨ How decluttering your internal "motherhood closet" creates space for what actually matters to you ✨ Why letting go of heavy expectations isn't about doing less but about making room for more of what brings you aliveIf you've been carrying shoulds that don't fit you anymore, this episode will help you see that you don't have to become a "better" mom in 2026. You just need to become a less burdened one. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Motherhood Decluttered: My Motherhood Decluttered audio course is $50 off through January 19th with code MOREJOY. Get it today for $47 and revisit it anytime you shift into a new season. Learn more at 3in30podcast.com/declutter.Flecks of Gold: Today is the last day of the Flecks of Gold New Year's Sale! Get 10% off with code NEWYEAR. Related Episodes: 214: Simple Tips to Create New Habits in the New Year // BJ Fogg 411: Decluttering That Sticks: 3 Mindset Changes for Lasting Impact // Erica Layne 462: 3 Questions for the New Year Episode Sponsors: Boll & Branch: Get 15% off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/3IN30. Wildgrain: Right now, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box—PLUS free Croissants for life—when you go to Wildgrain.com/3IN30 to start your subscription today. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

Transcript

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1:04.0	Exclusion supply. If you're starting 2026 carrying a bunch of expectations that don't
1:08.9	actually fit you, the kind that make you feel guilty
1:11.5	or resentful or just exhausted. I want to tell you about my motherhood decluttered course.
1:17.8	It's 10 short audio lessons, just two hours total, plus a workbook that walks you through
1:22.7	three simple steps. First, inventory all the expectations and mental load you're carrying in your
1:28.3	motherhood. Second, edit out what doesn't spark joy or match your values. And third, make room
1:34.5	for the things that actually matter to you and your family. I personally return to this work
1:39.7	every year because my life and seasons keep changing. This year, decluttering my motherhood helped me to let
1:45.9	go of screen time guilt with my son, set clearer boundaries around my work hours, and stop caring
1:51.6	about what other adults in my kids' lives think of my parenting decisions. This kind of mental
1:56.9	freedom is so rewarding. So if you're ready to declutter some of that overwhelm and start
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