March events: Master the art of saying no & how to be better with money 🌼

Join for the launch of our online Expert Talks with Guided Journaling series – free for paid members.

Introducing... the expert talk series with guided journaling on The Shoulds. Pictured: Natalie Lue, author of The Joy of Saying No; Ellie Austin-Williams, founder of @thisgirltalksmoney

Spring is in the air. With the new season beginning next week, after what seems like the longest winter in recorded history (just me?), I’m excited to share more about the launch of our ‘Expert Talks with Guided Journaling’ online events series on The Shoulds.

Debuting a week today (on Tuesday 21 March), these interactive online events will be an opportunity to tackle some of the biggest ‘Shoulds’ facing us day-to-day, through a two-part format which involves an inspiring expert talk followed by a half-hour guided journaling session. All events will take place live on Zoom with a link sent out beforehand, and recorded to watch on demand afterwards.

Just a reminder that these events are only open to paid subscribers of The Shoulds. So if you’ve been meaning to upgrade your membership (which also means receiving all access to every single newsletter, including the full archive of written work, together with video recordings of each event) then this is a great time to do it. At just £5 a month – £4.17 if you subscribe annually – it makes the events a bit of a bargain.

Here’s what you need to know about the first two events:

Coming up…

I SHOULD HAVE BETTER BOUNDARIES (TUESDAY 21 MARCH, 18:30 GMT, ON ZOOM)

For the debut event of this series, I’ll be interviewing Natalie Lue, author of The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People-Pleasing, Reclaim Your Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want. I met Natalie through a talk she did for London Writers’ Salon, and her work has since shifted my perception of people-pleasing: reframing it from something you ‘should’ do to avoid conflict, to a behaviour that – although normalised – can damage your self-esteem, relationships and work-life balance. In this session, we’ll discuss people-pleasing; the importance of boundaries, plus how to allocate your 'yes' & 'no's on a weekly basis, ahead of a themed guided journaling session to apply these lessons to your own life.

Main talking points

• How to identify your people-pleasing behaviours (& where they come from)

• What boundaries are – and why they’re important

• How setting boundaries & saying no can improve your life, leading to more authentic relationships; a better work-life balance; and a greater respect for your own time & needs

This event is for you if…

• You suspect you’re a people-pleaser

• You find it difficult to say no in some or all areas of your life

• Your weekly schedule feels mismatched to your values and goals

I SHOULD BE BETTER WITH MONEY (TUESDAY 28 MARCH, 18:30 GMT, ON ZOOM)

For this event, I’ll be interviewing Ellie Austin-Williams aka This Girl Talks Money, who runs an educational platform (blog, podcast & social media) around personal finance. What I love about Ellie’s approach is that it integrates both an emotional and practical approach to spending. As part of this talk, we’ll be exploring both, discussing the ‘Shoulds’ we have around money (e.g. how much we ‘should’ earn, our attitudes towards spending & saving). Our conversation will be followed by a half-hour long guided journaling session, which will give you the opportunity to reflect on your own ‘Shoulds’ around personal finance. 

Main talking points

• What does being ‘better with money’ actually mean, in practice?

• Where does our relationship with spending & personal finance come from?

• What is financial wellbeing – and how do you achieve in? 

This event is for you if…

• You’re interested in a fresh, accessible approach to discussing personal finance

• You want to mindfully reflect on your personal relationship with money

• You’d like to feel more empowered around managing your money

I’m so looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at these virtual events, the next step in bringing this newsletter community together. If you’ve any questions about membership (or if you’d like to suggest topics & experts for future events), do reply directly to this email – I always love to hear from you.

Francesca