For years, I was controlled by something that I could no longer control. We all have it, whether it’s a failed relationship, failed business deal, bad decisions, situations, or something someone told you as a kid; those things that happened to us in the past that we hold on to today.
I was bound and held back by feelings of anxiety, guilt, shame, sadness and depression. Then one day, I made the one decision to no longer let the past define who I was and who I would be. I made one decision…to let go!
Letting go does not mean forgetting. These past memories, good or bad, are a part of who we are, but don’t define us unless we allow them to.
—Jonathan Conneely, life coach, motivational speaker and author
Related: How to Break the Pattern of Dwelling on Past Mistakes
I had to let go of my own insecurities and the glass ceiling I was providing for myself. I can be my own worst enemy, and when I was finally able to acknowledge for myself what I was hearing from others about my own abilities, I was able to have confidence in my unique talents of envisioning, creating and executing. This has helped me believe in myself, lead others to believe in themselves and see opportunities in the marketplace that I can help impact.
—Betsy McHugh, founder and CEO of Hurdl LLC
I recently had to make a giant leap from my lifelong home, packing up everything and moving out to Silicon Valley. Not everybody needs to pack up and move, but I realized that in order to succeed in the goals and professional success I wanted, I needed to let go of some of that safety net, take the leap and fly. By breaking out of my comfort zone spatially, I broke out of my comfort zone mentally. I let go of everything I knew, started on a new path and I couldn’t be happier as a result.
—Angela Ruth, co-founder and marketing director at Due.com
Perfection. I’m your classic straight-A student. Because I spent the first 20 years of my life being rewarded for perfection, it was hard for me to learn that perfection isn’t success. Knowing this—and realizing there isn’t a smooth path for any startup—helps me get more done. As an entrepreneur, “done” is better than “perfect.”
—Alexandra Skey, CEO and co-founder of Rallyon
Losing a deal can be heartbreaking because my income is entirely commission based and a lot of time, hard work and emotions are invested in every deal. The most important lesson I’ve learned in this business is to let go and move on to the next one. As long as I was looking backward, I could not move forward and open my eyes to new opportunities that were right in front of me.
—Eleonora Srugo, co-founder of The SLS Team
TV and late nights. It’s much more valuable for me to wake up early and get a jump start on the day.
—Jarrett Streebin, CEO and founder of EasyPost
I used to bring work home and stay up late into the evening trying to finish projects. I gave that up after I (finally!) learned that getting a good night’s sleep—at least 7 hours—is more important. Not only have I been able to increase my productivity during the day, but I find that my evening time with family is more meaningful because I’m not thinking about work that’s waiting for me after everyone is asleep.
—Nafis Zebarjadi, co-founder and chief product officer at Medicast
Related: 13 Ways to Take Care of Yourself Every Day
This article appears in the April 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
