Escaping the "I Shoulds": My Journey to Launch a Custom Meal Planning Service
Out of Focus: The Things That Make Us Feel “Less Than”
Two Christmas-themed special edition magazines caught my eye as I walked into my office. The sight of another silent reproach in a whole sea of them in one space. That space is my formal dining room. The supply room for my micro-bakery business is currently in disarray as the holiday season comes to a close. The “temporary” landing spot for items from other rooms being “deep cleaned” and organized to fit new needs. The top of the dining table admittedly has looked much worse. Heavier boxes and bulky items hiding under said table peaking out from under the tablecloth, reminding me of why half of the chairs are in the living room. Yet I take a seat in my beloved little corner of the dining room, in front of my computer monitors, next to the piano my parents gave me when I was thirteen, fire up my daily prayer channel on YouTube, and dig into my email.
Artemis, with her metal muzzle in place, tries to climb into my lap and gives me a good cheek check. Young pitbull terriers can be very orally oriented, and there are days when she needs help remembering to keep her mouth to herself. Reminder that with it being overcast and 60 degrees today, I should be out walking her and throwing her ball until she’s ready to curl up in a sleep heap at my feet.
I should…
Did you count the silent “I should(s)” in that paragraph?
Can you relate?
How many times do we find ourselves mentally and emotionally imprisoned by those two words?
Then says the voice praying on the YouTube channel:
“...thank you for your grace that covers our shortcomings… You redeem our lives from destruction… You crown us with loving kindness and tender mercy… we thank you for patience that exceeds our failures… we thank you for love that never gives up…”
Here I am desperately trying to finish up our MealScript social media content for the year and give myself and my little staff some rest. And I find myself judging myself. Nobody else. Just me.
The pace at which we have worked in the last five months to establish a personal service company has been intense. Whether paid or volunteer, I believe we all need time at the close of the year to reevaluate, reset, and step into the new year with a renewed sense of purpose. I know I do. This year, just as much or more than ever before.
The Stress of Corporate Life and a Necessary Career Change
2025 started the same way it had for the past several years. Dreading my annual performance review. Unfortunately, there was no turnaround from another unproductive discussion that yielded absolutely no direction for the new year. By Valentine's Day, I knew that I needed to take my life in a different direction. I had put so much time into learning that profession that I really didn’t want to leave it. Somehow, it felt like I would be failing. Yet, I missed the professional world of cooking. I missed being confident in what I was doing and not second-guessing myself on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. The stress was eroding my health on every level.
More than one of my more recent friends made after my professional cooking days said, “Why don’t you go back to cooking? The way your face lights up and your voice relaxes when you talk about food, wine, and beverages is so beautiful. It is obvious that cooking is your true passion.”
I should…
Finding Focus: Custom Meal Planning for the Overwhelmed
I should start brainstorming ideas that would work with my needs and desires to return to cooking.
I did and opened my mind to receive ideas from endless possibilities.
I should trust myself more.
I did and created a business concept that I believe in, and wrote a plan.
I should believe in my ability to create a successful business– I had done it before.
I did and went out on a limb and hired a VA to help me get this business started while I kept my full-time job.
I should outsource to trusted friends, present, and former colleagues the skill sets that I was not strong enough to navigate on my own.
I did, and when it was time to walk away from the corporate world before I thought I was ready, I had an amazing support system that truly believed in me and my vision for MealScript.
I should look around more often and acknowledge all of the good, right, and beautiful things all around me. Those prayerful words snapped everything back into focus.
I did wake up at 7:00 am the first morning without the corporate commute ahead of me and find myself where I had talked about being for an entire year. “In my next job, I will be able to wake up at 7:00 am, take my coffee to the back porch, watch the sun come up, and commune with God and nature.”
I am creating a human-centered, completely customized meal planning service for the overwhelmed, overthinking, overstimulated, exhausted person longing for “just a little help.”
I do believe that helping busy parents, professionals, and everyday people by planning interesting, nutritious meals, providing the recipes, and the grocery shopping list can change lives. Good nutrition is a good preventative of many mental and physical health challenges, helping people from all walks of life achieve a better work-life balance.
I am looking forward to 2026 with a sense of hope, passion, and faith unlike I have felt in nearly a decade.
Ready to Escape the Shoulds and Find Peace at Mealtime?
I do hope that if you are reading this and struggling with the should(s), consider allowing my capable staff and me at MealScript to work with you for six to eight weeks and see how we can make a valuable difference in your life and the lives of your family with our custom meal planning solutions.
May you and your family be blessed with health and abundance in the coming year.
From my family to yours,
Kimberly
Founder of MealScript
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