How to Let Go of Everything Holding You Back

It’s time to stop putting the dream off and punch fears in the face. Let go of everything that’s holding you back. 

Now’s the time. Take on all the difficult stuff. Don’t give up, don’t give in. 

Those were difficult words for me once, living a life wishing for what I wanted but not willing to risk to become it. But, why shyly sneak by in life under the radar, unnoticed, when you can make a splash? First, let go of the false hope of a happier day tomorrow. Make it today. Don’t think for a minute that things will be easier on arrival—because there’s no arriving for those who are serious about growth, only a constant pursuit to become. Let’s break from the status quo. Bust the shackles of society that say there’s an end to your progress, to your purpose. It’s endless. Learning is endless. Growth is endless. 

Forget yourself and go to work. Seeking the fast path to success? It doesn’t exist. My whole life, I watched my father run a Plumbing and Heating company. He worked extremely hard every day, but he was smart and found huge success with every pound of his consistent effort and gallons of blood, sweat, and tears. He showed me that hard work and grit cannot be replaced. When I view my work, I want to see three things: Vision, Drive, and Charity. Never forget about what others need, do what you can to make their lives better because you were there. Focus on making people feel miraculous. Make their experience joyful, like a landscape filled with brilliant new memories they can treasure forever. 

The impossible is possible. Focus on creating the future together. Life is filled with journeys to be discovered, created, unlocked, cultivated, and built one brick at a time. Build it happily with those you love, those you want to love, and those that need love but have never felt it. You’ll be happier for it. And light will fill your life because you’ve brought something to people they could have never otherwise known. 

Wisdom is your friend, impatience an enemy and love is the key to all success in life, in every moment of every day of every month and every year of your life. Never forget that.

 The world changes rapidly. As information floods the Internet and our mobile devices, and social media outlets connect us, we are presented with greater opportunities and greater challenges than ever before. To break free from the noise, Preparation is required. Engagement is required. Focus is required. Connection is required. Service is required.  

One of the realities that you and I face in this rapid, high-tech, highly competitive world is stress and burn-out. A former manager in a Fortune 500 company put it this way, “I was working so hard for so many years that I became addicted to the flow. Whether it was burning through 300 emails in my inbox or trying to please an angry Executive, working those 12 hours or more a day, I stopped taking time for me. And then, something happened: I died. My heart busted, and I found myself in an operating room, getting it fixed. And that was when I realized things had gone too far.”

Let's get real: It shouldn't take a near-death experience for anyone to realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to succeed. So, what is the right way? Start with the basics: Get the sleep you need. Take breaks. Exercise. Eat healthy. Meditate or Pray. Be kind. Be mindful. Put people before work (or your screen)

Get out of your comfort zone and try different, inspiring things. Here are some ideas that worked for me: 

-  Serve in a third world country, take a class in something totally new, launch a blog, volunteer with a non-profit, or better yet, start a non-profit and make a difference.

-  Write on a piece of paper “Change the World”. Then, consider for a minute that the world is depending on you to do something truly revolutionary. And do it.

-  Take your financial life to a whole new level by committing to get out of debt or to create savings starting right now and then follow the plan.

-  Achieve a physical breakthrough. Prepare for a marathon, triathlon, or a 5k. Join an exercise class. Go on a personalized diet. Watch it change you!

-  Approach your job as if you’re starting there “day one”, and start the optimistic, big ideas you always wanted to. Don't be afraid to take risks. Find your why.

-  Take a leadership role in the community, serving youth, serving in church, serving those in need. Become a mentor. Teach your children to serve by serving with you.

-  Travel somewhere you’ve always dreamed to go and when you get there, breathe. Take time to observe the culture, eat an ice cream cone and just enjoy it.

-  Read a new genre of books or new discipline you’ve never studied before. Be open-minded. Allow yourself to dream.

-  Learn a new technology—software, tool, or app—to do things better and keep your mind sharp.

These personal revolutions are doable, no matter how difficult. A few years ago, my husband Chris set the goal to compete in a triathlon—wrote it down and kept it in front of him, and created innovative visuals to prepare for it. It was an unexpected goal for someone who disliked running, and who didn’t even own a bike. But he started frequenting the gym, doing laps in the pool, increasing from five to ten then to thirty-six laps per session. He ran on the treadmill, biked on the cycle, pushing through the mental barriers telling him that it couldn’t be done. To find the time to train, while he was working full-time, he skipped time wasters like television. He disrupted himself by challenging what he believed was impossible only months before, and after a few months of intense training, entered the starting line fully focused, and prepared to finish strong.  In fact, his personal disruption actually converted things he had disliked (running, eating very healthy, etc.), into permanent habits.  

On that summer morning, when he started the triathlon, he jetted forward to finish what he had started. During the swim portion, which took place in a lake, he quickly found myself frustrated by the swarming crowd of swimmers, kicking at him, splashing lake water into his mouth. His training in the pool at the gym had not prepared him for this, even though the distance would be the same. This was different. It was unexpected.  And he had a choice right then and there—give up, or move forward and complete what suddenly felt again like an impossible goal. But in his mind, he saw myself finishing and had decided long before that that quitting was not an option. Though he was totally exhausted after miles and miles more of running and biking, there were no regrets in the end. And there will not be for you either, as you start a personal revolution in your life and focus on achieving your greatest goals, starting NOW.