What Will You Have to Give Up?

Mother Nature is showing me what it looks like to let go. Watch the trees who know how to make it through the long haul of winter. The flowers that flourished during the summer. They know spring doesn’t come without winter. That cold season isn’t survivable without letting go.

For me, autumn is a good time to set goals. Don’t know about you, but I cocoon more during winter—the siren’s call of inner work and decluttering my abode beckons me. As I consider all my options, I feel overwhelmed. My list goes like this: I want to learn a foreign language. I want to play the flute again. I want to learn about Zoom groups. (And start one.) I want to learn to write better. I want to finish some projects that are still hanging around my place.

But to do this, I have to pick one and give up something else. For instance: I complained to a friend that I didn’t have time for Netflix. Everyone else seems to be glued to it. But I have no time. She laughed and asked, “How much time do you spend watching football? Or financial stuff?” Gotcha. That statement led to another painful sticking point: what to give up?

Let me share with you how I made that decision:

• Acceptance. I accepted I could not do everything. This first step took some time as I wrestled with the feeling of loss. Yes, I would miss what I had to give up. So that led to…
  Prioritization. I listed what I had going on in my life. Just a random list of projects, commitments, upcoming get-togethers, weddings. These items were then prioritized, not only by need but by the time involved.
• Wants vs. Needs. Another shuffle as I separated the list into wants (I want to go to Flagstaff) vs. needs (I need more time to learn to write better.)
• Decision time! I decided how I wanted to spend my time. I knew I wanted something I was passionate about. Then looked at both lists and figured out what I had to let go of to get where I wanted to be.
• Settling in. I vividly charged my new project with energy by seeing it already completed. Once that step was completed, motivation and enthusiasm were off the charts. Next step? Backtrack to determine what steps I would take to get there. Ready! Set! Go!

So, what’s the one thing you’re going to have to give up? Take it from me; letting go is sometimes painful. But once you make that decision, the results are there to propel you into a brand-new world. Energy charge your list and live unstuck!