It is so easy to get caught in the joy and excitement of brainstorming new and exciting growth for your business.
When you’re on a roll, all you want to do is plan out the Next Great Thing. You’re so excited and focused on the possibility of what could be, that it becomes easy to overlook all the steps it’s going to take to get there.
When my clients and I have a really good brainstorming session and after the energy has died down a bit, they’ll often say “I don’t have time to implement any of this.”
To which I always remind them: in order to make room for the new, you need to let go of the old.
Imagine that you’re holding a giant bunch of balloons. So large, it could float the house in Up. It’s huge, and if you add even just one more, you will start to float away. So if there’s another balloon you want to add to the bunch, you need to let one go to make space for it.
When faced with all the exciting potential and possibility, which so often accompanies springtime, how do you decide what to let go of, in order to create the time, space and emotional energy needed to nurture your new idea?
There are three questions to determine what to let go of to help you step into the future of your business:
What is not bringing in that much money?
Perhaps it’s a service that’s not selling, or a product that’s been stagnant. If no one is buying it, it might be time to retire it, at least for a while.
What are you just not that excited about anymore?
It might be bringing in tons of money, but if the energy, excitement and passion are gone, it’s likely time to let it go and make way for new innovation.
What is good, but not great?
In many cases, the curse of good not great keeps us mediocre in our business. A failure is awesome because it’s a clear sign that something is not working, and often gives us freedom to innovate and create something new. But things that are working, but not soaring, can keep us caught in the middle. Think about something that is only good that you could let go of. Then create space for the spectacular.
I like to do a bit of ritual around letting go or retiring parts of my business. Especially if there are feelings of failure it helps to honor the journey and set clear intentions about why we’re releasing it and what we’re aiming to bring into the space.
Burning the words you want to release and saying an intention for your newfound space, are great ways to formalize the transition.
To step firmly into the future of your business, you’ve got to create the space to take the step, which means taking an honest look at what parts of your business you’re ready to let go of. Once you release, you can step into your brilliant future.
So my challenge for you, is to spend some quiet time and decide what you’re ready to release. Once you’ve decided what you’re letting go of to make space for the new and amazing, do a ritual ceremony around it. It doesn’t have to be fancy or incredibly time-consuming; light a candle and say a few words appreciating this part of your business and let it go. Then, say a few words about what you’re creating space for. Help welcome that energy and newness to you.
As always, I’d love to hear about what you’re letting go of and calling in, in the comments below!
xo
Ellen
Photo by Ermin Celikovic
