Letting Go

It can be hard to let go – of habits, relationships, jobs – you name it – the norm is comfortable. I’ve recently been faced with several decisions that require me to to decide whether to let go or hold on to what I know. But can we truly move forward – make progress – if we aren’t open to new possibilities? Sometimes we outgrow situations or even relationships. Sometimes we need to allow ourselves the chance to be even more or possibly fail. There are no guarantees EXCEPT – if we don’t let go we can not expect to move forward.

As my Pilates business has grown and I’ve become busier, I’ve had to be more selective about how I spend my time. When I was first starting out I took advantage of my slower spells to volunteer, teach classes at a gym, do home projects and so on. Now, I have more business and less free time. That’s a good thing. But this change also requires me to let go of some of those fillers from before. While I wish I could still volunteer weekly – my priority right now has to be to my clients. While I love the members I’ve met at the gym, the right decision is to cut back my classes and offer my clients more availability. It’s scary to let go of a sure thing. But if I believe what I am doing is right and where I am going is right – I have to take the risk, let go and move forward.

I’ve also found the same to be true with friendships. It’s very hard for me to let go of friends. When I’ve traveled back to my home town of Cincinnati – I’ve come to realize there are true friends who will work with my schedule to see me. And there are others that I have to work hard to accommodate. I’ve realized when I’m only home for a few short days – I can’t drive around from one side of town to the other trying to please everyone else. While I’d love to see everyone – I have to let go and hope my true friends will show up to see me. In the end, I get more quality time with the people who are willing to make an effort and show up for me.

Letting go is difficult but necessary if we want to get to the next good thing. I could continue to teach a bunch of classes at a gym for someone else and watch my business remain as is – or I can make myself available for more clients and more success. I can bend over backwards for people I really like but who may not be quite as invested in our friendship. And while I’d love to volunteer – I need to pick and choose what I do now.

What are you holding on to? What are you letting hold you back from the next big thing? What are your priorities? For me – my business growing and preserving my true friendships are what matter – so that’s what I’ll focus on. The rest – it’s time to let go.